Twilight Crossing
by Skyler Maepa
Summary: A gamer finds himself gradually drawn into the game of Twilight Princess. He and Midna must come to terms with the blurring of the boundaries between reality and fiction as they continue on the journey of the Chosen Hero. Now complete! R&R please. Enjoy!
1. Prolouge: Shattered Reality

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters. The story and characters I add here are my own. I really wanted to write this one because I like Midna and Twilight Princess, and I've always wanted to live the adventures of a game hero, especially Link.

**Twilight Crossing**

**Prologue: Shattered Reality**

"What in the Twilight was that?" screeched the shadowy imp in my ear. "The vision Lanayru gave you was strange, and I knew that even heroes have a dark side, but that was ridiculous!"

Even with her piercing tone and rising volume I didn't hear her as she continued to rant and rave. My breath came in ragged gasps as I sat there on my knees, trembling almost spastically as a cold sweat shone on my tensed muscles. Something I had been denying was suddenly proven true, in the most shocking manner possible.

"...with such dark fantasies as those that you're the chosen one of the goddesses!" The end of her ranting and the heavy breathing that followed brought me back to the moment. I looked at her with blue eyes that were not my own.

"I'm not," I finally managed to say softly.

"You're not what?" Midna replied, still clearly frustrated and confused and in no mood for riddles.

"I'm not the chosen hero."

"What do you mean you're not the hero? You're wearing the green clothes aren't you?" my companion asked, the increasing confusion evident in the one red eye I could see.

I say 'my companion', but that was as true as saying I looked at her from my eyes from my body, a definition as clear as mud to me, as well as her, right now. I took a breath to steady my mind and body before explaining. "I look like the chosen hero, but I'm not. By some mechanism I don't understand, my mind and body are merging with his."

"So you're some kind of spirit possessing him or something? I don't understand what you're talking about. In fact," she paused a moment as she studied my borrowed body with a critical eye. "You haven't said a word until now. Why are you rambling nonsense now?" She held her head as she shook it from side to side. "This doesn't make any sense!"

I let out a sigh before standing, feeling strength in my limbs again. "It doesn't make any sense to me either. Maybe if I tell you the whole story, we can figure it out."

Midna crossed her arms as her forceful demeanor returned with a vengeance. "Then start talking, because I do not trust you with getting that last Fused Shadow without figuring out who you are!"

"Fair enough," I replied. I moved over to a wall of the enshrined spring, sitting against it with my legs in front of me as I looked out over the water. If I told her how I saw our surroundings, she would think me insane. But the point was probably moot anyway because I felt that I _was _going crazy.

"It was a day like none other," I began. "For the third time in my life, I had won a contest…"


	2. Chapter 1: The First Session

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own.

**Chapter 1: The First Session**

"Yahoo! Yes! Oh yeah!" the whoops reverberated throughout the house.

"What? What's all the shouting about?" My parents looked at me with surprise, as well as the rest of the family at the dinner table.

"I won! I entered a contest at a game store online and I won! Ha ha!" I clutched the letter confirming my good fortune tightly as I waved it around, looking at it repeatedly.

My sisters, one older and one younger than I, seemed happy for me, but my folks were less enthusiastic, having never been thrilled about my video game hobby, feeling that I spent too much time on it.

"What did you win?" my mom asked, smiling as she picked up on my exuberance. She had never been one to damper a happy moment.

"A Wii! A Nintendo Wii! And not just that! I got Twilight Princess for it too!" I crowed in reply.

"Why didn't they just ship it to you instead of sending a letter?" my dad asked, ever the skeptic. He was the one who seemed to disapprove of my gaming the most, though not openly.

I read the letter over again to make sure I have my facts straight. "Because of the shortages of the system. It will be another seven to ten business days for it to get here." I sat down as I looked back at him, explaining further. "They're hard to find. Any store that gets them receives only like a dozen at a time, so you'd have to know someone to get one."

Not being up to date about video games and systems, the next ten minutes were spent explaining the motion sensitive controls, the expense of the system and games, and the game I was receiving. I already owned The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the GameCube and had beaten it two weeks previously. But now I was going to be able to immerse myself into the game as if it was real.

I smiled in the bathroom mirror after I had finished eating. My reaction certainly wasn't as mature as might be expected for my age, but then again, even at 21, I didn't look like my age. Hazel eyes looked through gold-rimmed glasses at myself from under the thick brown hair on my head. My lean frame hid the speed and skill that my muscles knew from practicing martial arts. A collared shirt that hung over the belt of my jeans was my standard clothing of choice. I smiled, thinking myself the luckiest guy on the face of the earth.

Life went on during the next week or so. I attended my college classes, worked at the fast-food restaurant I had been at for what I considered to be far too long, and held off from playing any more games until the Wii arrived. As fate would have it, it arrived the day before my birthday, and since I had waited that long, I figured that I could wait one more day.

However, my birthday didn't go as desired. After dinner, I opened my presents. A few DVDs, two music CDs, two books, and of course, the Wii, were unwrapped one by one. At that point, my dad had to go off to one appointment while my mom went off to another, and I had to drive my sister to an evening college class. With my family gone, I began to mope a bit. They had all forgotten my birthday. My older sister was still there as I returned home, though. I smiled to myself as I hooked up Wii cables to the downstairs television. I could have taken it upstairs to my room with the rest of the game systems I owned, but I wanted the first time to be on the bigger screen we had. In any case, it would be an escape from my sadness.

As I felt the weight of the two controller pieces in my hands, hearing the introduction music sweep around me from the surround-sound speakers, I felt like I was being swept away into the land of Hyrule. A rueful smile crossed my lips as I opened my eyes again, only seeing the walls of our house around me. The experience was like no other that I could compare to in all of my gaming life as I began the adventure. I didn't notice anything else during that first session. When my family got home, I had to tear myself away to eat cake and ice cream.

"Wait a minute!" Midna's look of disbelief had increased during my tale from where her shadow form sat cross-legged to my left. "You're saying that everything that has happened is some sort of game?"

"Originally, yes. But now I'm not so sure." I admitted. "The fact that we're just physically in these positions is evidence of that, as is our conversation."

The little imp sighed. "I'm afraid I must agree with you. Looking back, everything I've done until now I felt compelled to do, like I couldn't control it. Now I feel like this is wrong, and yet I feel free." She shook her head. "Why does it feel that way now? What changed?"

I thought for a moment before responding. "Well, let me bring you up to date first. I still don't why, but I think I understand what happened."

Midna shifted to get more comfortable as she replied, "Very well, but this better not take all day."

I couldn't help but smile at her reply.


	3. Chapter 2: The Signs

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review.

**Chapter 2: The Signs**

In retrospect, the signs and feelings were there from the beginning, from that first session. I just didn't really notice them. The first feeling that I can remember is meeting you in that dungeon. Mostly, I was glad to see you, but a part of me was aggressive, feeling you were a threat. At the time I brushed it off as getting into the emotion of the situation.

But then, when you asked if I knew where we were… I drew a blank. For some reason, I couldn't remember. That was impossible; for I had deduced that we were in Hyrule Castle from the first time I had played. The forgetfulness passed when I listened to the guard's spirit on the parapet, the one that mentioned the castle's name, and the incident was forgotten.

But the entire game felt new again, like I didn't know or deduce things like I had before and was experiencing it afresh. I had passed it off as the novelty of the new system, but I now realize it was more.

Time went on in reality as well. I attended my classes and went to my job at a restaurant as usual, but as I continued to play the game, it felt less real to me. Almost as if it was it were a fantasy and the game was reality. As if I was living to play, or even perhaps… playing to live.

One of the best examples of this that I can think of was when the explosives shed in Karikio was on fire, with me trapped inside. I seriously thought I was in danger, that I could feel the heat around me and the force from the small explosions. After the escape, I had to set down the controls and take a few minutes to catch my breath and re-orient myself.

The emotions of Link began to overlap my own shortly after; at about the time we chased down the Moblin chief that had taken Colin. A determination had burned in me like I had never felt before. I also felt concern for Colin, not caring that he wasn't real, but only caring that he would be safe. Again I later dismissed this as getting into the moment.

However, I began to feel the environment more too. The controls seemed to feel heavier or lighter depending on what I was holding at the time. And as we progressed through the Goron Mine I was sweating from the heat, though older my sister who was watching at the time assured me that the air conditioning was working. The latest development like this was that I could smell the gunpowder on the bridge over the lake before we leapt off of it. That too, had been a thrill for me, as I had truly felt I was falling through space.

The same thrill could not have been said to accompany the following flights up Zora's river, of which I felt I had a bit of trouble controlling, not to mention that I also felt a sharp wind in my ears. There was also the chill of the frozen headwaters, which was dismissed as the heat in the mine had been. Although I could almost swear that I could feel the mist and humidity in the air. And for the final bug hunt, occasional shocks and a nasty taste filled my mouth when attacking those foul things.

"And I believe that brings us to the present," I finished. I look down a moment before looking back at Midna. For her to keep quiet for so long as I told my story was quite a feat from her, which, coupled with the insanity of the whole situation, set a rueful smile on my face.

"That's the most ridiculous and far-fetched tale I have ever heard," she said after a long pause. "How am I supposed to believe it? I feel this sense of being controlled that you speak of, yet I have no restrictions on my free will. You say you are not of this world, but what proof do you have it?" Her gaze became piercing, as if daring me to lie.

"None," I replied openly, "None except for what I have seen and told you. I don't like the lack of evidence any more than you do."

The semi-transparent shadow studied me for a time, her ponytail twitching this way and that. Because half of her face was hidden, and me being no judge of faces, I had no idea what she was thinking.

"What about that vision?" she asked, fixing me with her vicious stare again.

I bit my lip. Yes, the vision. I took a breath before answering, "I have a few more inner demons than Link does."

"A few? Boy, you have enough to fill a level of hell," she replied venomously.

"I have problems. Like anyone else. But that's why you're handling the Fused Shadows, not me," I defended.

She crossed her arms and turned away. "I don't trust you with getting the last one anymore. I'll be finding another hero."

I exhaled sharply through my nose. So I would have to earn her trust. But I then remembered the next set of events, which was strange. Like I was allowed to remember this time, like something wanted me to remember. I shook it off again like I had before; it was just so much to deal with.

"How about I prove that I'm good? What if I can do something heroic and help someone?" I asked, half curious and half challenging.

She surprised me by not responding with sarcasm or another barb at me. Instead, she turned and looked at me with that one eye, once again scrutinizing me. But then the biggest surprise of all came: her gaze softened.

"If what you're saying is true, then you've been good all along. I'll give you that chance," she said, in the softest tone I had ever heard her speak in. But then it deepened as she narrowed her stare. "Don't disappoint me."


	4. Chapter 3: An Uneasy Truce

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing.

**Chapter 3: An Uneasy Truce**

"So what do you have in mind to prove yourself to me?" Midna asked as she floated into the air.

I stood and stretched my legs, having become stiff during the long time that we had been sitting. "There's a zora child in town that Ilia is caring for. I'm going to help them."

In return for my attempt at valor, I received a skeptical look. "But that queen also said she would give us something in return. How do I know that you're not just doing it for the reward?"

She had me there. The main progression mechanic of many video games; of getting the next item to get to the next place, was now working against me. I sighed as I made my decision to level with her. "I am doing it for the reward as well. But here's something else to think about," I paused as the surreal reality of the situation hit me. "If what I say is true, wouldn't I be risking life and limb to get said reward? That takes more courage than you might find in the average person."

Again I received that skeptical look. "Alright," she conceded, "But I still don't trust you to beat Zant. And you'd better explain what that vision was about."

Ah, yes, the vision. I knew what it was supposed to be originally, but how could I influenced it so? I sighed. "Alright, I will, but later okay? Before we enter the lake's temple. For now let's just get going."

With a huff, Midna joined my shadow on the ground. "Why did I like her again?" I muttered to myself before leaving the cave.

It was hard to stay mad at her as I stepped along the walkway that wound its way along the edge of the lake. The sound of the water was very calming. I had had enjoyed lakes from camping trips when I younger. But who was I exactly? I wanted to tell Midna more; she would be the only one to understand. But she already had enough to worry about. I looked at my hands. They seemed my own, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw the green of Link's tunic on my shoulder, that is until I turned my eyes to look at it.

"Man, I'm so obsessed about my own problems how am I supposed to help that Zora kid?" I asked myself out loud.

"Hurrrm? Some of the Zoras are still alive down under there? I thought maybe they dried up along with the lake..."

I stopped with a start and stared. I hadn't been paying attention to where I was and had only just found myself in front of a man who wore pink. I hadn't even noticed that I was in on the floating structure that made up the cannon house.

Fyer, I think his name was, continued on. "Hey, buddy, have you heard? There's like a temple or something at the bottom of this lake. They put on such airs with all their rituals and fancy temple hoo-ha... Then they just disappear... And what's with putting that temple so deep that humans can't swim there?! I swear, those Zoras... Oh... Are you a costumer? Heh heh! You are ONE lucky fella, fella! The HEIGHT of excitement, the THRILL of launching to the heavens, the very PEAK of flying fantastication... IT can be YOURS, fella! For a limited time only, and without waiting in line, it's a paltry 10 Rupees! Whaddaya say, buddy of mine? Wanna give it a shot?"

I wasn't sure how to respond. Should I speak out loud or point the game controller? The game's interface on a screen was still visible to me, keeping me from fully believing that Link and I were one. Being a silent type, I answered with the press of a button, to which the would-be carnie replied, "Welcome, fella! And right this way!"

I didn't feel the disorientation that one would expect from being twirled around inside a cannon before being shot from it, but the calliope-type music was ringing in my ears for a while after. After that, it was a short walk back to Hyrule Castle Town. I was trying not to think too much at this point, as it only caused me further worry, but a constant nagging in the back of my mind kept me from forgetting my doubts. I was so distracted that I didn't notice the postman running up to me. I just mechanically took the two letters that he had for me and tucked them away as I kept walking.

My time in the town was short lived as the clang of a bell brought me out of my reverie. I was being called to dinner. I saved and turned off the console's power. Everything seemed so normal. My room, as untidy as ever, with the TV and game systems in one corner, surrounded me. And yet… I could almost swear that Hyrule had been in that same space. And I had talked with Midna, out of script and out of character, so to speak. I wasn't sure what to believe. But one thing I did know. My family wasn't going to find out. If they did, I wouldn't be playing for a long time, and I couldn't have that happen now. Not when I was still wondering if I had dreamed it all.


	5. Chapter 4: An Adventure

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My apologies for not writing in a while, but I just got the Wii version of the game (I had the GameCube version first) and just caught up with the story, thus providing much needed inspiration.

**Chapter 4: An Adventure**

It took a little while to get back to playing the game, life happens like that. I was also a little freaked out. I mean, it had always been my dream to become part of the video games I play, but the old saying "Be careful what you wish for" kept flashing in my mind as well. The logical part of me that my parents had raised was saying to leave the game alone, but the enjoyment I got from the Zelda series as well as the mystery of what was happening was too much. I had to know if I had been dreaming, or if it all had really happened.

So about a week after that first encounter with Midna, I was doing arm stretches in my room. I had found out the hard way that playing the Wii was hard work and my arms (especially my right) would be sore sometime after playing. I keep glancing around the room as I loaded the save file. Everything was normal so far. I then remembered that I had forgotten to learn the next sword technique from the Hero's Shade, so I left town and went to the white wolf just outside.

But when the wolf jumped at Link on the screen I had to close my eyes from the brightness of the light. When I opened my eyes, I was face down on the ground. But the ground was white and seemed almost immaterial. I shook my head as I stood and found the white wolf sitting in front of me. Just as I realized that I may have entered Hyrule again, the wolf howled, becoming the spirit who had taught me two skills already.

I didn't really catch what he said; as I was glancing at my hands to make sure the controls were still there, which they were. The Shade paused, and I looked up to see his head cocked, as though puzzled by my behavior. I stood up straighter, as the last thing that I wanted to do was offend the old warrior. He then went on, "But first, you must show that you have mastered the last technique: the shield attack. Come at me!"

I took a breath and shifted the controls in my hands, but too slowly, for my opponent turned to swing his blade at me before I could even get within range. Thankfully, it only clanged off my shield, but I had to back up and try again. I tried again and this time his shield met mine. After a few more attempts, I stepped back, my heart beating rapidly. Why weren't the controls working? I could still see the game's display, but Link was not there, and the things in my room seemed ghostly, as though they were only half there.

"Perhaps you are not as worthy as I thought," the Shade said, snapping me out of my trance. "You move as though you had iron boots on." I blinked. Did he just mock me? I snorted and took a stance. No one made fun of me and got away with it. As the apparition came at me again, I threw my whole body to the side, passing through my bed and the other objects in the room as I strafed around him before thrusting my shield at him, followed by a slash of my blade. Though I had no weapons in my hands, the blows struck true, sending the Shade sprawling on his back.

I breathed hard and deep as he stood and turned back to me. "Good. You are certainly capable of performing my lost art." For moment he seemed to want to say something else, but then continued with the game's script. "Now I shall teach you the third technique: the back slice. Let it be hewn into your mind."

I listened to his explanation, but the controls didn't seem to matter so much anymore. I did still need to use them, but if I didn't put my whole body into it, I was not fast enough or strong enough. Though I had never done such things, or even anything remotely close to it, my body seemed to move with ease and deadly grace that I had long dreamed of. After a few attempts, I had the back slice down pat, and the dead hero bade me farewell.

I blinked as the surroundings of Hyrule came back into focus and I took a few breaths to gather my thoughts. Whatever had happened, it had happened. And if the quest was going to bring me into it, then so be it. I would take the mantle of the Chosen One as my own to save the world. I didn't know where Link was or if I was him, but that didn't seem to matter at the moment. I smiled. It was time for an adventure. My adventure.


	6. Chapter 5: Escort to Kakariko

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing.

**Chapter 5: Escort to Kakariko**

I looked around as I walked back into town. The noise, hustle, and bustle surrounded me and I couldn't help but smile for it kind of felt like being in a mall. '_Our worlds may not be so different after all_,' I thought to myself as I walked around, getting familiar with the town. Some game mechanics were still in place, for I still had to press buttons to make people talk to me and to access my items. But there was no fixed camera angle anymore, though I still had a third person perspective, it was less so, and I saw the world in a new way. I was still turning this way and that to take it all in as I took the steps down to Telma's bar. I finally came back to myself when the sounds of an argument greeted me at the door.

"That is a Zora child! That is beyond my expertise! Hmmmph!" An old man wearing glasses was saying. As I came in he looked at me for a moment as he passed by, and then headed out the door behind me.

"Doctor, wait! If something isn't done, this child will..." I turned to notice Ilia, who had apparently been pleading with the doctor. A glance escapes out of her eyes towards me, but she turns away. Suddenly filled with concern, I take a step toward her, reaching out a hand. I then blink as I stop myself. What was I doing? I didn't know her, not personally. I had already decided that I wasn't going to become Link completely, that I was still going to think my own thoughts and have my own feelings. But the sudden surge of emotion I had felt for Ilia worried me. Did the game have that much control over me?

Again a voice brought me out of my thoughts. "Well, this isn't good. A human doctor won't do, huh..." Telma said. I mentally chided myself for thinking too much and listened to the conversation. "That old coot reminded me, though... I've heard of a shaman in Kakariko Village, in the Eldin lands, who's tended Gorons and Zoras."

"Is that true?" Ilia asked, hope shining in her eyes. "Perhaps if we take him there..."

"Inadvisable!" interrupted a soldier from near the bar. "Too dangerous! But we can't turn a blind eye to a pretty girl in need, either. Yes, we'd better escort you! Am I right, boys?!" The other five guards with him answered with a rallying cry as they raised their spears.

Telma smirked as she turned to them. "Well, isn't that nice. To reach Kakariko, we've got to cross two plains that are each infested by dangerous beasts. But we'll be safe now!"

I let out a soft chuckle. I knew what the barkeeper was playing at. At the mention of monsters the soldiers had fled through the door, leaving an irked Telma in their wake. "Cowards! Don't EVER show your faces here again!" It was then that she noticed me for the first time, and her smile returned. "Oh my! Looks like we've got one young swordsman left! And not only that, but it looks like this brave young man will escort us, so get ready to go, honey. Pronto!"

Ilia nodded and ran off as Telma stepped closer to me. I had never felt physically intimidated by a woman before, but there is a first time for everything they say. "You know that girl, don't you? It's a real shame... She can't even remember her own name right now. Bless her heart... She found this poor boy collapsed in the road, so she did all she could to save him. More courage in that girl than in all the soldiers of Hyrule, for sure! You lend your strength to her, you hear me?" I smiled and nodded. I had no intentions of letting them down.

I blinked and found myself in Hyrule Field, looking out over the Great Bridge with the two ladies. The game must have taken me here since the scene had cut like that. The boss moblin from before patrolled the length of the structure on his boar mount.

"So you say the bridge to the west has been destroyed, huh?" Telma asked. "Then our only option is to cross the bridge to the east. You see what that means? You'll have to deal with that thing!"

I chuckle to myself. "No problem," I replied, more to myself than anyone else. Ilia and Telma looked at me with raised eyebrows. Again I had the impression that they wanted to say more, but instead they turned and headed for their covered wagon. I walked up to Epona and mounted, noting that the game had skipped that previously.

"Th-Thank you so much for this." I turned to notice Ilia humbly addressing me from within the wagon. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"

She waited, and I realized that I would have to actually reply. "Link," I said. Since I figured that I had Link's appearance (though I was still uncertain about that as well), I thought it best to maintain the illusion.

"Link?!" Ilia repeated. She almost seemed to recognize the name before smiling. "I will never in all my life forget your kindness, Link."

Telma spoke up from the wagon's driver's seat. "Little lady, I think you'd best save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko... This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild...like a feral beast. We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay. If we make it to Kakariko safely, we'll just thank him then, OK? You ready to roll, Link? You've got to protect these young ones on the way to Kakariko!"

I nodded and spurred Epona on. I wondered if the game was keeping other characters from breaking the script. Perhaps they would find their own voices in time. I also noticed that I could still hear the background music, though no one else seemed to notice. That, along with the displays, were the only persistent signs that it was still a game. The ride to the bridge was an uneventful one, and I chided myself again for thinking too much as we stopped in front of the stonework.

"OK, it's your turn, honey!" Telma called to me. "We're counting on you!"

I nodded and guided Epona onto the bridge as I pulled out my bow. King Bulbin at the other end showed off his new twin shields, one on each arm, before lining his mount up with mine. I could have imagined it, but I thought I saw Midna's eye watching from my shadow for a moment, judging my every move. I put it out of my head as I snapped the reins, prompting Epona to trot forward. Soon she was at full gallop and the boar of big-and-ugly was bearing down on us. I readied my bow and fired into the gap between the shields. The shaft vanished as the boar careened back and forth, passing within inches of us. I quickly brought Epona around to charge again, another arrow on the string as soon as we headed back towards the foe. But I was too soon; the moblin was a quick learner and had raised one shield in front of himself. Unable to find a decent shot, I pulled out my sword instead, only to be shoved off my horse as we passed each other. I groaned and shook my head; that had actually hurt. I quickly got back on Epona, petting her neck to calm her before turning about again.

The boar had turned and was running at me already. I had to time it just right to get the shot. I waited until we were less than ten yards away before pulling my arrow on the string. The shields came up, but the gap was there again, lower this time. I let loose the arrow, and quickly pulled to the left as the boar charged past, crashing into the wall. A roar escaped the monster's lips as he fell off the bridge into the lake below. I let out a sigh of relief before noticing something sparkling heading at me. I caught it just before it hit my chest. It was a key. It was the key to the gates that the moblins had set up. I pocketed the item as Telma brought the wagon level with me.

"Nice, honey! Keep up the good work!" she praised before driving on. I nudged Epona to follow, still taking in the events that had taken up only a few minutes. I checked my body when I thought no one was looking. No bruises or broken bones, but the impact had still shaken me. I would have to be careful, for it wouldn't be long until I was getting injuries from being in the game.

I turned my attention back to the wagon, and spurred Epona to catch up. Just in time too, for moblin archers were appearing on the path ahead. I brought my bow to bear and fired at them, loosing six arrows, but only hitting two out of three. We were alright for the time being, though. Soon we came to a stop at a gate. I dismounted and unlocked it before quickly getting back on Epona. By that time, the wagon was already ahead of us and in trouble. Large birds were harassing the horses, making them veer off course and into the boar-riding moblin sentries. I grit my teeth as I charged into the fray, laying about me with my blade. The wagon caught fire from one of their arrows and the women screamed. I chucked the Gale Boomerang at it to quell the fire, though some of it was still smoldering. I then brought out my bow again to fire at the birds, knocking them out of the sky one by one.

By this time, we had made it into the Eldin part of Hyrule field. We crossed the bridge over Kakariko Gorge when two more birds appeared. I took them out, but not before one had forced the wagon off course again. The last two boars came about us then, once again setting fire to the cart. I dispatched the archers before putting out the fire once more. '_Home free_,' I thought as the cart turned back towards the village. I unlocked the gate and let the ladies in before following. We pulled up to the inn, where Telma and Ilia carried the ailing Zora child inside. I waited outside as I caught my breath as Colin walked up. I smiled at him and he smiled back briefly.

"What's going on Link? What did they take inside? How's Ilia?" he asked in quick succession. I blinked. How could he defy the programming of the game when others couldn't? Perhaps as a child, he didn't feel the restraint that older characters did. I smiled; how like a child, doing the impossible just because he doesn't know that it isn't possible to begin with.

"We brought a sick Zora child here," I said at last. "I protected them. Rendado will take care of the boy. As for Ilia…" I paused, unsure of how to say it. "She's lost her memory. She doesn't remember anything." Colin's face took on a concerned look at this, but before he could say anything more, Telma and Renado came out of the inn.

"He has passed through the worst of it," Renado began, "As long as he rests, he should recover in due time." I sighed in relief, unaware that I had been holding my breath. "Do you know the fate of his mother? Her welfare consumes him. He has been mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly..." I looked away, unable to answer that one. "I can see the knowledge grieves you. It must be an awful memory."

"I'll stay with him until he's better! No matter how long it takes!" piped up Colin.

'_Ah, the ambition and energy of youth_,' I mused, smiling again.

"Is that so? Thank you, Colin," replied Renado, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Hey, about Ilia..." Colin spoke hesitantly. It seemed he wasn't sure he wanted an answer to his question. "Is it true, what they say about her?"

Renado straightened himself and sighed. "Yes, she has lost her memory, Colin, and regaining it will be no simple task. But it will be all right, child. If we just give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again. So, Colin, I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then." The shaman then looked at me. "It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed." I smiled and nodded my appreciation before he turned and walked towards the spirit's spring. Colin entered the inn as Telma leaned against the rail of the inn's porch.

"Nice to see there's still hope here. And it's always good to see happy results repay your efforts... Those skills of yours... Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule? What hope there is in our kingdom is frail and dying...but there's still a group trying to do what it can. And I'm a member of that group. Call me Telma. I may just stay here a bit longer. I'm still worried about Ilia, and... Well, never mind about the rest." I kept my laughter in my mind as I had noticed her look at Renado. "Link, I want to see you again at my bar, you hear me? The bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. There's a passageway that leads to the castle from in there, as well. If you ever need something, stop by, I'll be waiting for you, honey!"

"Thanks Telma," I replied. She nodded and went after Renado. It felt good to communicate with characters like that, even if their responses were limited. But maybe sometime soon, all the rules would be broken and this world would be truly real. I turned towards the inn's door, intent on checking on the boy, when a glow appeared in the corner of my eye. I turned around to see the ghostly form of Queen Rutela of the Zoras. Before I could say anything, she drifted backwards, towards the graveyard. I followed her, wondering why she was leading me there.

Soon I came to the back of the graveyard, where the Queen floated next to a stone carved with a symbol that I recognized from other Zelda games. The stone shone and vanished as I watched, revealing a hole big enough for me to crawl through. The queen floated through the wall and I bent over to enter the small space. I tried not to think too much, as I considered myself slightly claustrophobic. As I stood up on the other side, I saw Rutela floating next to a larger stone shaped like a ridged fin, across from a small body of water. I swam over; looking up at her once I had reached the other side.

"I am deeply grateful to you for aiding my son in his time of need," she said. Her voice was something else; flowing and gentle as water, yet firm like ice. "You were right to bring him here. Kakariko Village is a sacred place for the Zora people. It is where we take our eternal rest. My husband in life, King Zora, also rests his spirit here. It is no coincidence my son found his salvation in this place. ...That which I have promised you is within this grave." With the grind of stone against stone, the grave opened to reveal a shallow depression, in which were some folded clothes. "During his lifetime, my husband created garments specifically for the chosen hero, garments that house the abilities of the Zora. Now, at least, I can join my king in slumber." I nodded and picked up the armor, hearing that familiar 'got something important' music in my ears. "And yet... My son..." I looked back up at the deceased matriarch, my brow furrowed. "He still knows nothing of my death. If you see him again, please pass on this message... Tell him he must not grieve his mother's passing. Tell him she wanted him to be brave and live as the king of our people. And... Tell him his mother... loves him without end. Tell him..." She paused, waiting for my reply.

"I will," I answered. Satisfied, Queen Rutela faded, passing into the afterlife. I couldn't deny a last wish like that. The prince would need help in taking the throne, and I would give what help I could. I was then I noticed that the queen had actually spoken to me, rather than words on screen as everyone else had. The programming was giving way in bits and pieces. Midna then popped up out of my shadow, and I paid attention to take in her voice. It still had that other-worldly echo to it, but was definitely feminine, though downplayed by her serious and sarcastic tones, and as lively and mischievous as I had always imagined it.

"Well, it's a good thing you found all of your friends and picked up that nifty Zora armor..." she began, "But aren't you forgetting something kind of important? That last Fused Shadow... Remember what Faron the light spirit said... He said you would need the Fused Shadows to defeat the dark overlord Zant and save the world..."

"Actually you said that," I corrected her. "The spirits just said it was a forbidden power."

The shadow seemed slightly put off by this, but went on. "Still even if you go back now with all of the people you saved... The whole tragedy would just repeat itself... So let's go get it! We need to go to the temple on the lake bed of Lake Hylia." She then stopped, as if only realizing what she had just said. A growl escaped her lips before she screamed to the sky. "Blast this force that compels me!"

I couldn't help but chuckle. She was still the same Midna I knew.


	7. Chapter 6: Confronting Demons

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing.

**Chapter 6: Confronting Demons**

"Alright," huffed Midna, now very cross. "You're going to tell me what that vision was about or I'm going to… to… do something nasty!" Apparently she was too mad to think of a threat, and I figured that I had better not make matters worse. Still I wasn't looking forward to what was coming up.

"Very well," I said, sitting down with my back against the Zora king's headstone. "But understand that I may not fully understand it myself."

"Yeah, I get it. You're clueless," sniped the imp as she sat in front of me.

I shook my head, but didn't reply to that comment. I leaned back and closed my eyes, letting my breath and the sound of the water calm me before recalling the vision.

"I already knew about how Hyrule was created," I started, "And I knew there were wars over the power of the Triforce. But I didn't know about the sorcerers who attempted to impose their dominion over the Sacred Realm. Still, everything up to the warning about the Fused Shadows was no different from what I seen before. The only thing different was the end."

"That's what I suspected," said Midna. "So are you some sociopath or what?"

"No." I chuckled. "But then again, would a sociopath admit to being such?"

"Perhaps not," she conceded. "So what's your explanation? And it had better be a good one."

I inhaled again. "Originally, only Ilia was in the vision. Giggling and raining down like that. I have played games with countless girls that I liked for one reason or another, and that's probably why they were there." I shuddered as I remember what Lanayru had shown me. I had seen Ruto, Malon, Saria, Zelda, and girls from other video games that I had played, all falling in the same manner Ilia had.

"So you're a pervert is what you're saying," concluded Midna.

"No, I like those girls for their personalities as well as their cute looks," I countered.

"Sure you do," she replied sarcastically, crossing her arms.

I swallowed before explaining further. "And the fire, well… I've run into a lot of people that hurt me. I guess I still carry a grudge." There had been behind the raining girls the skyline of a city I had once lived in; the buildings bathed in flames and the sky obscured by smoke.

"You guess?" said the imp, her voice rising. "You guess you have a problem when you fantasize about burning cities to the ground? You guess?!?"

"I don't want to kill innocent people!" I snapped. "I just want to be left alone!" Midna seemed ready to yell again, but I beat her to it. "I've been betrayed by friends, mocked, taunted, abandoned, and attacked. My job has people bothering me over inane and petty demands all day and I can't say 'no' to them. People have only meant pain and suffering for me, so excuse me if I just want to be by myself!"

Her eye watched me carefully as I wiped away the hot tears that formed unbidden in my own. Again I breathed deeply to steady myself; it was always hard for me to confront my past, perhaps because it remained unresolved. Midna actually seemed unsure of what to say, weather to be angry or sympathetic, so I went on.

"My world isn't easy either. We have wars and people have issues, probably more so than here, because of how we concern ourselves over little things. I don't like people in general because of what I went through. But that doesn't mean I'm evil. That doesn't mean that I don't want to do the right thing. I want to do the right thing, but I can only do that if you'll let me."

I closed my eyes and let Midna think. I had said my piece and she could take or leave me. If she insisted that I butt out, then I wondered if I would be able to play the game normally again. Maybe she could find another hero. Rusl might take the responsibility, or maybe Link would have his body back, or maybe Hyrule would cease to exist altogether, or m-

"I'm sorry to hear that you've suffered," Midna said at last. I jerked my eyes open to stare at her. For the first time, she truly seemed sympathetic. "All good people have a dark side they ignore. You're no different. You may even be better for it. If your dark side is strong and you still do good things, then I guess your good side is even stronger." I dared to smile as her smug grin returned. "I guess I picked better than I thought. You'll do just fine to get me that Fused Shadow."

I let out a laugh of relief. I didn't care if she chose me because of programming or if she pitied me, or if she believed in me. She chose to keep me around, and that was enough. I stood, and my shadowy companion rose to eye level. "Then what are we waiting around here for?" I asked rhetorically, now practically giddy. "Let's go get it!"

"To the Lakebed Temple! And snap to it, we don't have all day," she ordered.

Maybe, just maybe, things would be alright after all.


	8. Chapter 7: The Lakebed Temple

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. And props to the people who catch the movie reference I wrote in.

**Chapter 7: The Lakebed Temple**

I made a quick visit to Barnes' bomb store to trade my regular bombs for water bombs. It always irritated me at how I could only carry half as many. I could fix that later, but then it wouldn't be of much use. After making my purchase, I returned to the Zora's grave, remembering something faint about a shortcut. My memory of future events was still hazy, but I could pick out unimportant things like side quests and shortcuts.

I thanked the heavens that changing into the Zora armor was only matter of pressing buttons. I don't know how I could have explained things if someone came in my room and I was only in my underwear. It was a strange feeling being underwater as well; for I felt like I was swimming, but also standing in my room at the same time. I was a little irritated with the conflicting sensory input, wondering if the game would make up its mind on where I was.

The swim to the temple was uneventful, though some Zoras cautioned me to turn back. I shook my head, and proceeded to blast open the temple's entrance. Since when have heroes turned back at such warnings? I swam on through the rocky tunnel, avoiding the monstrous clams and jellyfish that would bar my way. I came into the first room and activated the switch there to open the door to the next room. It felt a bit different this time, navigating a dungeon, like I was doing it for others rather than just for fun. It was also somewhat peaceful, with water flowing everywhere as I walked down a stone slope. I was snapped out of my thoughts when a rock landed next to me.

"Woah! That's treacherous..." Midna said as she appeared. "Don't you think you ought to knock down those stalactites hanging off the ceiling first? They don't look to be very stable. I'd bet they'd break pretty easily if you hit them with enough force, don't you think?" I nodded and she vanished again. I kind of wished she would stay out more. I was used to being alone, but a little company would have been nice.

I knocked the other stalactites loose with bomb-tipped arrows, forming a convenient set of steps up to the door. On the other side, I found myself in front a circular chamber with paths that went out in different directions. It was apparently the hub of the dungeon. I took a breath and walked forward. The next few hours were spent following empty waterways to their sources so that I could fill them again, which eventually filled the central chamber to a level that let me reach the boss door. Along the way, I had dodged and killed a number of monsters, tried to keep from getting lost, and found the Clawshot. But I still wasn't done. I sighed as I sat against a pillar in a room containing a water filled maze of sorts.

"What are you doing?" I jumped at the sound as Midna looked me in the face. "Why are you sitting on your rear instead of finding that Fused Shadow?"

"You've got to be kidding," I moaned as I rubbed my face. "I've been running around, pulling switches, fighting monsters, and killing a giant frog. I think a break is in order."

She sighed and folded her arms. "Fine, I guess it's alright," she conceded.

"Thank you," I replied almost sarcastically.

Only a minute or two passed before the silence was broken again. "What are we doing in here anyway?"

I cracked open an eye. Is this how it was with the Hero of Time and Navi? "I still need the Big Key. It must be near here since I haven't explored these rooms yet."

The imp accepted this and seemed to think for a few moments before speaking again. "What's you name?"

I opened both eyes look at her in puzzlement. "My name? Why ask now?"

"I just want to know so I can boss you around better."

I scoffed at that; she hadn't been looking at me as she had said it. "You boss me around easily enough without knowing my name. I don't buy it."

"Hey, I just wanted to know!" she replied, now mad for a reason I couldn't fathom. "Now hurry up and get moving!"

I sighed as I stood, the two shadows merging into one. "Tyler," I said softly, not sure if she would hear. "My name is Tyler."

I swam through the tunnels, retrieving the key and returning to the central chamber. There I unlocked the large lock to find a small hole which I jumped into. I landed into some deep water and I dived down to find a large chamber with pillars spaced throughout. I pulled on the Iron Boots to aid my decent, staying away from the sandy pit in the center. When my feet touched bottom, I walked towards the pit, noticing a lone translucent tentacle waving around. There was a rumbling as more tentacles emerged, followed by a mouth with multiple rows of nasty teeth.

An eye began floating up and down the various tentacles and I remembered a past battle that had been very similar. I smirked. The game couldn't keep my memory of other Zelda games away from me. I pulled out the Clawshot that I had retrieved from another part of the dungeon and sent it out at the eye. Snagging it wasn't easy, as I stayed just out of the tentacles reach, which was also the edge of the reach of my weapon. I did manage to pull the optical orb to me, and slashed it without mercy. The eye made it a retreat as the mouth spit out a number of bomb fish. I slashed at them if any dared near me, aiming to pull the eye again. After slashing at it twice more, the eye retreated back into the mouth of the hidden beast.

Midna popped up as the tentacles writhed, retreating into the sandy pit. "Did we kill it?" she asked. She must have come out to get her prize.

The ground shook, vibrating the Iron Boots I wore, as the mouth of the creature re-emerged, followed by a long, thick body which ended in a triangular tail. '_No_,' I thought, '_we just made it angry_.'

I removed the boots and began swimming upward, Midna following, as I knew staying put would undoubtedly end with me eaten. Morpheel just seemed to be swimming around, not really noticing me it seemed. Once I had gotten about halfway up the chamber, I could look down on the giant fish. Midna pointed to an orb on its back, near both the tentacles and the teeth. "Look! There's an eye like the one before in its back! You've got to get to it!" I nodded in reply as she retreated to the shadows. Easy for her to say; she got to stay safe while I did all the work. Did Link ever feel this way?

In any case, I pulled out the Clawshot again and took aim, but the circular laps that the eel was swimming along with its undulations made it difficult to line up a shot. I led my shot instead, aiming at where I thought the eye would pass and fired. It was too soon, for the claw rebounded off the eyelid. I tried again as the monster turned my way and this time latched on just in front of the eye. A bubbly yell escaped my lips as I was jerked towards the creature, just barely missing the tentacles. Upon reaching its back, I clamped my legs around what I could as I pulled out my sword, stabbing into the eye. A cloud of inky blood swirled around me as I stabbed again. After hacking at it a third time, the monster began bucking like a wild bronco, and I struggled to hold on, but to no avail. I was sent spinning away high up the chamber.

I shook my head to get my bearings back and quickly located my foe again. It was too far, so I donned the Iron Boots to sink down a ways, timing it so that the eel was facing away from me. Once in range, I fired the Clawshot. '_Yippee ki yea_!' I yelled in my mind as I grappled to the eye. I repeated the process of grabbing on and stabbing, but more blood was flowing and I was having a harder time seeing. After another three blows, I was thrown off again. I rubbed my arms a bit; they were really getting sore from all the yanking around.

My eyes widened as I looked back at Morpheel; he was headed right at me! '_Oh snap_!' I thought as I turned and tried to swim out of the way. The beast was too fast and nimble, for it kept on me, opening its toothy maw to try and suck me in. Feeling the force, I switched into my Iron Boots (again glad that those were still controlled by a button press) and sank below the vortex. Having lost track of me, it swam, now above me, and I took the opportunity to grab on, slipping the boots off to make it easier. I began to climb up around the side of the big fish, thinking, '_I don't think this will be in the strategy guide_.' The snaking motion of the boss made climbing a bit harder, but I was soon on the right side and able to see the dome of the eye on top. The eye saw me as well and a roar vibrated my grip, prompting me to clench my teeth and eyes as I hung on.

When I opened my eyes again, the wall of the chamber was much nearer than before. '_Uh oh_!' I thought as I realized that I was going to be scraped off, but in the following instant, I already had a crazy idea. I let go with my legs and began running on the wall. "Oh maaaaan!" my yell was lost to bubbles in the water. When the distance was closed a little further I pushed off the wall to flip above the monster's back. I unsheathed my sword and pointed it downward as I put on the Iron Boots, letting the weight pull me down right at the eye. The pupil widened in shock just before the blade plunged deeply inside. The eel began to jerk and swim erratically while I hung on for dear life. I took the boots off and pushed off to get above it just before it crashed head-first into the wall. The water began rushing through the newly-made crack, emptying the chamber except for an inch or two. I breathed a sigh of relief; it was over.

I sat to rest a minute as Morpheel dissolved into bits of shadow before coming together as the last Fused Shadow. Midna promptly emerged from my shadow and gripped it with her ponytail. "There it is! The last Fused Shadow... I'll just take that, thanks!" She put it away as I chuckled, brushing myself off as I stood up. "Now, don't resent me for all I've put you through. I NEED this thing!" she responded defensively. "Besides, we have to do something about Zant, the one who thinks he is the king of shadows... His power is a false one... I'll prove it using these! So... I've done everything I needed to. I'm sorry for dragging you all over the place with me..."

"Are you?" I interrupted.

"Am I what?" the imp asked, a puzzled look on her face.

"Are you really sorry that you dragged me around?" I clarified.

She looked down, unable to meet my gaze. "Well… Since you've come along, things got even more complicated than they were. But…" She looked up and a smile played upon her lips briefly. "I'm glad that you came with me and helped out. You didn't have to."

"Thank you," I smiled in return.

"So... Shall we go?"

I nodded and walked over to where the heart container had fallen and picked it up, feeling a rush of life and energy as it disappeared from my hands. I then walked back over to Midna, who had formed the warp to exit the dungeon. "Want to go outside? Are you all done here?" she asked.

I nodded, "Yes, but before we go, I want to ask you this: What are you going to do now? Now that you have all the Fused Shadows?"

Midna blinked, as if the thought hadn't really occurred to her before. Her fingers rubbed her chin for a minute before she looked at me again. "Confront Zant, of course. With them, I'll destroy his false kingdom." An unfamiliar look then settled on her face. "And you should go home."

That brought me up short. "You're concerned for me?" I asked in disbelief. "You're really concerned for my safety?"

"Don't flatter yourself," the redhead retorted. "I'm only saying it because this is going to be a nasty battle that a strange foreigner shouldn't get involved in."

"Oh really?" I countered as I cocked an eyebrow. "You've seen me fight some nasty creatures already. Zant should be a breeze."

"This may be a game to you, but it isn't to me," she answered. "Zant's power may be false, but it's still strong. You're going to get hurt fighting him."

"And you won't?" My gaze back at her was a mix of mischievousness and seriousness as I spoke. "You won't get rid of me that easily. We started this quest together and we're going to finish it together. A battle is always easier with an ally by your side." I smiled then, a genuine smile that I only wore for friends.

Midna seemed like she was going to protest further, but was stopped by my change of attitude. "Thank you," she said softly, before vanishing back into the shadows.

I stepped forward into the portal and experienced a tingling sensation as I was carried out of the dungeon. The game asked me to save, and as I did so, I noticed the faint readout from my bedroom clock. It was late, and I had to work tomorrow. I shut off the system, feeling like I had been dunked in icy water as I returned to the world I knew. It was getting harder to come back and that worried me. Would I be unable to come home at some point? Would I even choose to return? I tried to put it out of my head as I climbed into bed. But I couldn't shake the suspicion that I had forgotten something. Something important about what was to happen next…


	9. Chapter 8: Midna's Desperatation

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing.

**Chapter 8: Midna's Desperation**

I couldn't wait to get back to playing, and I would have a nice amount of time to play as well. I did the math from the last time I had played and noticed that while time passed in the Hyrule, less time went by in reality. I figured that since a game day was only a matter of minutes, an hour there was a minute or so here. I smiled to myself as I worked; that meant I could adventure farther in less time.

When I got on that evening I closed my eyes as the game loaded and found myself immersed in the surroundings of Lanayru's spring. It was good to be back. I turned to leave and gasped as I had almost ran into Zant himself! '_Where did he come from?_' I thought as I drew my sword out of reflex. Behind me, I heard a splash and a roar, and I looked back to see Lanayru rising up to challenge him as well. Without even a look, nod, or twitch, a magical blast radiated out from the usurping king, knocking me out cold.

I had thought that I would have been able to watch cut-scenes even if I was not in them since that had happened before when I had started playing. But I only knew darkness, a dreamless sleep from which I tried to wake. I roused myself in time to see Zant forming a red ball of energy to hurl at Midna, who was suspended in midair. Not bothering to think, I leapt at him, crashing headfirst into the ball. I was flung back, and the last things I knew before I went under again were Midna's hands on me and a headache in my forehead.

When I came about again, I felt my four feet touching down on solid ground. I looked at myself. I was the wolf; the first time I truly felt like the wolf. But how? The twilight was gone, so how was in my cursed form again? I heard a gasp from my back and as I looked, my mouth fell open in disbelief. '_Midna!_' I cried in my mind. Her colors had changed: what was black was white and vice versa and her hair was now tipped with a shade of light blue. The only thing that remained the same was her red and yellow eye.

"Link, hero chosen by the goddesses..." A voice came out of the night air. I could only guess that it was Lanayru. "Go to the princess locked away in the castle. That princess holds the key that can unlock you from your shadow form..."

I started running across the field as it began to rain, not really caring for myself, and not thinking how this had once been a game. The displays were only visible in my mind's eye now. I could hear the soft, mournful notes of the piano that made up the background music of the game as though from a distance, while the cold rain was wetting my fur and getting in my eyes. But I took little notice of those things. All I was aware of was the muddy earth racing underneath my paws, the weak, desperate grip of small fingers in my coat, and the ragged breathing that echoed in my canine ears.

As I approached the town, my emotions roiled within. Why did I care for her so much? I cared for her character, as I had when I had played the game the first time, but now it was real, and she could die if I didn't make it time. In that sense I also cared for her welfare, as one living being to another. But that wasn't enough either. Our relationship was an alliance out of necessity since this crossing occurred, and yet I was trying to be friendly, and perhaps we were finally getting along when this happened. Out of this sea of emotion two rock-steady thoughts kept me moving; '_I _am_ the wolf_,' and, '_I_am_ going to save Midna, at any cost_.'

People screamed and fled as I passed through the gates of Castle Town. Cats watched with interest as I loped by, heading for Telma's bar. A soldier lowered his spear at me, his knees visibly shaking. My fangs shone in a flash of lightning and my growl was drowned out by a peal of thunder as I jumped at him. The man fled, dropping his weapon. I had never intended to kill him. He was only doing his job. I trotted on, ignoring the feelings of fatigue creeping into my limbs and the throbbing that was starting to become prominent in my head.

I skidded to a halt as after jumping down the steps leading to the bar. I barged inside, hoping my speed will be enough to find the secret passage Telma had spoken of before anyone could stop me. But no, my flashy entrance had cost me, and I found myself dodging the punches of a Goron, his fists missing by inches to put sizable dents in the stone floor. When three more people approached from the rear of the bar, I realized my mistake and hastily retreated back outside, the door slamming shut behind me. As I stepped into the rain again, I look back at Midna, and the amber eye I can see silently pleads to me. I looked up at the clouded sky, shutting my eyes to issue my own silent plea; '_Please. Please don't let her die._'

The creak of a shutter catches my attention, and I turn to notice a flat-faced white cat jump down some crates stacked next to a window.

"You there! You're Link, correct?" it called to me. I nodded mutely; I wasn't sure how to speak from one animal to another. The cat went on, "Mmm, yes, I thought so. I could just tell, you know. I'm Louise. Do you remember meeting me in this shop before? Though I don't think we were properly introduced... In any case, I must tell you, I'm a bit puzzled as to why you look like that." She then looked at the door I had just come out of. "Really, dear, you can't blame the humans for tossing you out, the way you look." It was then she noticed Midna on my back. "Oh... Another patient? You certainly are a curious sort..."

A gasp came from Midna's lips. "...Plea... Please... Princes...Z-Zelda..."

Louise wasted no time, and indicated the window she had just used. "This way! Here, get in through the window. The attic is connected to the castle's waterway. It's an old waterway, though...so it could be a rough trip. Well... I suppose all that's left to do is make sure that the humans don't notice you."

I nodded my thanks and quickly scrambled up the crates, entering the warmth of the tavern once more. I stepped gingerly around the various pots that were scattered on the upper shelves, making my way to ropes that led to the other side of the room. I could hear conversations below me, but paid no attention. To save time, I jumped the last few feet to the final ledge, knocking a vase crashing to the floor. Louise kept to her word, knocking over a bottle at the bar, drawing the attention of those present that way. I silently slipped out of the attic, dropping onto a pile of gold. It looked like someone's house. There was a golden statue of a person sitting in a chair next to a treasure chest.

"H-Hey! Where did that ghost come from?! H-Hey! Don't just stand there! Get that ghost!"

Startled, I looked around and found a lantern floating in midair. I tuned my senses and saw a small ghost, wielding a long scythe. I ducked as it swung at me, and then jumped at it. My bite seemed to go right through it, but did damage all the same. I attacked again and it fell, an orb emerging from its chest. I pounced at it, tearing it out. It tasted awful, but seemed to be something of significance.

"Oh... Th-Thanks for beating the ghost." I looked around. The voice seemed to be coming from the statue. "Can I call you...doggie? I'm Jovani. I...became consumed by greed long ago, and sold my soul to a dark creature that did this to me... I can't move... I can't go see my girlfriend... My pet cat Gengle is frozen on my head... I don't think I could be more miserable... I have to ask you a favor, doggie... Can you find and defeat the 20 ghosts that lurk in the dark for me? I think if you can free the pieces of my soul from the ghosts that hold them, I'll be free... Oh, but it's raining out now, so I don't think you can go outside directly. I'll open the door to the underground waterway for you... Once the rain stops, you can come back in here by digging around the front wall where the cats gather... Understand, doggie?"

The treasure chest opened, revealing a dark hole leading into darkness. I sighed, still so far to go and more favors were being asked of me. I steeled myself and dropped into the hole, hoping that Midna would keep her grip. We landed on a water slide of sorts which flowed down to a small reservoir. Ignoring the rats, I pulled a ring that opened another sluiceway which I swam down. Climbing onto solid ground again, I found myself in some catacombs. I fought a few spiders, burned through a few webs and dodged bats until I came to a soft patch of earth, which I dug into. I found myself back in the dungeon of Hyrule Castle. Making sure Midna was still secure, I made my way up the tower, balancing on ropes as arrows whizzed by me, shot from Moblin archers. I paid them no heed as I reached the top and stepped out a door.

The rooftop was windy, making the trek more perilous that it had been before, especially since I didn't have Midna's help this time. Large birds chased after me, pecking at me, but I pressed on, jumping to a shaky set of boards before dropping down to the sloped roof. '_Almost there Midna. Hang on!_' I thought as I charged across the peak of the roof and climbed into a window. I then burst into Zelda's room, but she wasn't at the window. A soft thud made me turn my head. Midna had fallen off my back. '_Midna!'_ I shouted in my mind. I gently nudged her face with my nose and gave it a lick, trying to keep her awake. Her eye opened, and I followed the direction of her gaze to see Zelda standing behind the door. She kneeled down, looking over the two of us.

"Please..." Midna gasped. "Please tell me... How do we break...the curse on this one? This...is the one... You need him...to save your world! That's why... Princess... Please... You must help Link..." I assumed she used Link's name because of the script, but then I blinked. Was she that concerned about me even as she was dying?

Zelda looked at me and raised her hand, moving it as if to scan me and stopping over my head, which flashed with a new wave of pain, at which I didn't flinch. "What binds him is a different magic than what transformed him when he first passed the curtain of twilight. It is an evil power," the princess concluded. "Our world is one of balance... Just as there is light to drive away darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil. Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron.

There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages... the Master Sword. The Master Sword is a sacred blade that evil can never touch.

Evil cloaks you like a dark veil...and that blade is the only thing that can cleave it." I nodded as she finished her instructions. "Link... Hero sent by the goddesses... Like you, I have been granted special powers by the goddesses..." She raised her hand, showing the glowing Triforce on it and I thought I felt a tingle in my right front paw.

Midna looked at me. "Fine... Link... You can... You can get to the woods...on your own, right?"

'_On my own?_' I thought. I didn't want to be alone in this strange world. My companion spoke again, breaking my thoughts.

"Princess..." the imp went on, turning her head to look at Zelda, "I have one last request... Can you tell him...where to find the Mirror of Twilight?"

Zelda gasped and then closed her eyes for a moment. "Midna... I believe I understand now just who and what you are... Despite your mortal injuries, you act in our stead... These dark times are the result of our deeds, yet it is you who have reaped the penalty. Accept this now, Midna. I pass it to you..."

Midna's face took on a look of surprise as her body began lift into the air, glowing as sparks of gold surrounded her. "No! Link! STOP HER!" she cried. I looked at Zelda; her body was fading! My head turned from one to the other as I just stood there in my indecision. When Zelda, the glow, and the sparks had all faded, Midna was standing on her own feet, looking like she always had. She looked at her hand a moment before jumping on my back. "We go back, Link! Back to Faron Woods!" I could hear the emotion she was holding back, trying to assume a stoic demeanor. But as I padded out of the room, I hear her speak in a soft tone. "Zelda... I've taken all that you had to give...though I did not want it."


	10. Chapter 9: A Wolf in the Woods

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing.

**Chapter 9: A Wolf in the Woods**

Midna teleported the two of us to a spot in the northern area of Hyrule field since we had no other way out of the castle. I had taken no more than two steps before a humming reached our ears. We turned to see a great orange barrier flashing into existence around Hyrule Castle. '_As if things weren't bad enough,_' I thought, growling as I bared my teeth at the sight, Midna doing the same. We wrenched ourselves away and I started walking along a route that would take us back to the woods.

It was then I realized a problem. '_How am I going to ask Midna to teleport me anywhere? How does she understand me as a wolf anyway?_' I thought. The game overlooked some crucial details like that. She couldn't understand animal language, or could she? She seemed to understand when I was a wolf, but not as a human.

"I only understand what you understand," Midna piped up from my back. "You understand animals as a wolf, so I do too."

Her words brought me to an abrupt halt. "_You can read my mind?_" I thought.

"Of course," she replied matter-of-factly. "How else can we communicate when you're a wolf?"

"_How much do you know?_" I asked, a bit nervous as I started walking again.

"Just enough to know when your thoughts are directed at me." I couldn't tell for sure, but I think she was smiling. "Don't worry, Tyler. I don't look into your deep dark secrets and I can only do it when I'm touching you directly anyway. But I would like to know why you're going the wrong way."

"_What do you m-_" I stopped and looked around. I was on the rocky path that led back to the Bridge of Eldin, which in its current broken state was no way back to the forest. "_Ah, crud. Disoriented again._"

Midna giggled as I padded on, jumping to attack a hopping spider. "_It's just as well,_" I thought as I spat to try to get the nasty taste out of my mouth. "_We left some shadow creatures roaming around there. It will be easier to take them out as a wolf._"

"Aw, what's the matter? Scared to take on those scary things all by yourself?" the imp teased me with her patronizing tone.

"_I plead the fifth,_" I answered as I rolled my eyes.

"What does that mean?" I'm sure there was a look of puzzlement on her face. Of course she wouldn't know any sayings from my world, though it might be fun to teach her some.

"_Never mind._" I dismissed the matter as we came upon some moblins near a small wooden bridge. I killed those with short range weapons and ran past the archers, continuation on until I reached the northern end of the Eldin stone bridge. I was getting used to being a wolf as long as I didn't think about it too much. If I started thinking about how my feet were moving my four paws would get out of sync and I would let it go before I tripped over myself. I didn't need to give Midna something else to laugh about.

To be honest, I was a bit nervous as we approached the shadow creatures. Since this mess had begun, I had only faced two beasts larger than I was, but I knew how to get around as a human. Now I was a wolf, and the red and black foes I faced now were much quicker. I crouched down, ready to strike at the first one as it came at me, an unearthly growl filling the air. As it pulled its hand back to strike, I lunged forward, digging my claws in. I bit once, twice, three, four, five times before I lost my hold. I pushed off the beast to jump back and jumped forward again before it could recover. Another five bites and it fell backwards, me standing atop it.

What a rush! There was something freeing about being able to attack an enemy in such a primal way. I couldn't remember my heart beating this fast before. The snarl on my face turned into something like a smile. I liked this.

I blinked as the ground around me turned black. I glanced back to see Midna spreading her magic. We would need it to take out the other two beasts at once. Upon seeing the first one fall, the others came at me, entering the circle. I saw red energy fly towards each, marking them. I then leapt at one, my teeth and claws tearing it as I went past. My feet barely touched the ground before I was in the air again, attacking the last one standing. They both fell before dissolving into bits of twilight, opening a portal above the bridge.

"I think you enjoyed that too much," Midna commented as I panted to catch my breath.

"_I don't know,_" I replied as I stretched a little, making Midna grip my back to keep herself stable. "_I might finally work out all that aggression that I have bottled up inside of me._"

"That might take a while," came her dry reply.

"_May we just warp to the forest please?_" I asked. It was nice being a wolf, but I wanted to be able to be human again as well.

I think Midna caught the last part of my thoughts as I felt her leave my back before experiencing that tingling feeling that comes from traveling by twilight. When I opened my eyes again, we were in the northern part of Faron woods, where the bridge for Kakariko gorge had been left previously. I grunted as Midna landed on my back with a jolt. "_Couldn't you land on me a little softer?_" I asked as I looked back at her.

"What fun is that?" she said with a coy smile.

I headed north, heading for the temple. I knew where I was supposed to be a little bit at a time, but never sure why unless the game told me. I stopped as I noticed the female monkey that we had helped a couple times before jump from almost nowhere to land nearby. Before I could even think of saying hello, four of the weirdest looking… things appeared from literally thin air. My instincts said they were not friendly. I barreled through two before taking out the remaining two. The frightened simian looked around.

"Did... Did you save me?" she said shakily. I'm not sure how I could understand her primate chattering, but it made sense one way or another. "Th-Thank you! Listen, since you're so nice, let me tell you something: there's a really pretty wooden area on the other side of this cliff! I climbed over there, but when I tried to get deeper into the woods, THOSE guys attacked me! What's in those woods, anyway?"

I padded up to a raised stump, looking over the vast drop off that the Forest Temple sat over. "So there's another section of forest beyond this cliff. All right, Link, let's go!" Midna commanded before floating over to a small root.

"_How am I going to make that?_" I called to her with my mind. She just waved me over with her hair, already growing impatient. I shook my head, remembering that she couldn't hear me when she wasn't touching me. I leaned back on my haunches, every muscle in my lupine body tense. "_Here goes nothing,_" I thought before hurling myself through nothingness. The small foothold seemed to rush at me at an unnatural speed before I was suddenly there, Midna already moving to a ledge further on. Not trusting myself to think or to balance, I leapt again, skidding to a stop on the outcropping even as the redhead landed on my back.

A moment or two passed as I gathered myself. "Are you alright?" Midna asked, leaning to try and look at my face.

I turned my head just enough to look into her eye with one of my own. "_I used to think that was fun. Not so much when I'm doing the actual jumping._"

She sighed in irritation. "Great. The hero is afraid of heights."

"_It's not the heights I have a problem with._" I protested. "_It's the falling that has me worried._"

It was her turn to roll her eyes as she floated over to a small tunnel. I braced myself and jumped again. This was definitely going to take some getting used to.

We kept silent, concentrating on the task at hand as I jumped across two rotating platforms and rope-walked past two swinging logs. I stopped at a howling stone just before another tunnel. I consider myself musical, having near-perfect pitch, and howling was just another form of singing. To let a howl escape felt like I was expressing the desires of my very soul. I opened my eyes to see the white wolf a ways off, near the castle. I howled again, the other hero joining me in a duet. I sighed in contentment as I returned to Hyrule proper. I had needed that moment of peace.

Inside the tunnel was the densest forest I had ever seen. Another howling stone was there. I smiled inside as I howled the familiar tune of Zelda's Lullaby. The moment was cut short as a little blue-faced creature with a wide brimmed hat and a strange horn appeared. It blew its horn and ran off, leaving more of the strange marionette monsters in its wake. I rolled my eyes and chased after the troublemaker, killing the monsters when they got too close.

"_These guys are getting on my nerves,_" I growled both mentally and physically as we were surrounded again.

"That makes two of us," Midna agreed as she laid down magic once more.

We finally jumped down into an old ruined tower and there the mischievous trumpeter summoned more of his minions. I had had enough. I dodged past the legs of the creatures to jump at the kid. He was too surprised to dodge my attack and got hit, but appeared in another place, blowing his horn again. I repeated my speed tactic but it failed as my nose hit stone. The damage to my nose was only a bruise at worst, but it awakened the headache that I had been ignoring for so long. A whimper escaped my lips as the pain threatened to overwhelm me. My skull was on fire! My head was splitting apart! I shut my eyes; it was too much.

I felt a weight lift of my back. I cracked my eye open to see Midna standing between me and the strange beasts of the woods. She looked back at me and smiled before floating into the air. The creatures rose with she used her power to lift them, throwing them into the walls, shattering them. One was sent at the kid, and he jumped atop the broken pillar in center of the area. He looked at us before disappearing. "Hee hee hee! ...'Bye!"

I closed my eyes as I slowly stood, the pain still pounding in my brain. "Take it easy," I heard Midna say as I felt her hand on my neck. Though it pained me, I opened my eyes to smile at her.

"_Thanks,_" I said. "_You didn't have to do that._"

"You did the same for me," she replied, looking away for a moment. "But we're not even yet."

I shook my head as she gently climbed on my back. "_Friends don't keep score. You don't owe me._"

She shook her head. "But friends do it for each other anyway right?"

Another flash of pain kept me from answering with words, so I simply nodded as I trotted out of the tower and into a dilapidated courtyard. It must have been magnificent at some time, but my migraine didn't allow for imaginings. Noticing a Triforce on the ground, I stood in the center and howled the lullaby again. Two statues that stood before me came to life and jumped as about half of the ground around us vanished, leaving us standing on a formation of pillars. One statue fell on the pillar in front of me and the other behind.

"We are guardians of this land..." they spoke with one deep voice. "Guide us to where we once stood. Only then can you enter the true Sacred Grove..."

This puzzle was a piece of work when viewed from above, therefore almost impossible from the ground. Every time I turned to look at where the statues were, they would turn another way, keeping me from getting a completely accurate idea of where they would be. It took a good half hour to return them to their original positions and my head was screaming from every jump that I had made.

The ground was restored as the guardians spoke again. "Go now to the sacred place, beast... We yield passage to the Sacred Grove..." They struck the ground with their hammers and the life left them as a stone door slid open.

I raced forward, the ache in my head intensifying as we approached the pedestal. A strong wind arose; Midna was flung off my back as I growled in gladness, feeling the darkness being lifted from me. I stood, now human again, and gripped the hilt of the blade. A light shone as the blade came free and I lifted it up in the air.

"The sword accepted you as its master..." Midna said in awe and disbelief.

I smiled as swung the blade about experimentally before sheathing it where my old sword had been. My headache was gone as well, it must have been tied to the darkness that was keeping me a wolf.

I turned to see Midna balancing a black and orange stone on her finger. "This thing is the embodiment of the evil magic that Zant cast on you. It's definitely different from our tribe's shadow magic..." I tilted my head as I stepped towards her. "Careful... If you touch it, you'll turn back into a beast!" she warned. "This thing is too dangerous... It's probably for the best if we just leave it here, huh?"

"I don't know," I wondered out loud as I folded my arms. "I think it might be handy to be a wolf from time to time."

She thought a moment, her face thoughtful as she gripped the stone in her fist. "You may be right. If we kept it, you'd be able to transform into a beast anytime you wanted... Yes, since Zant was kind enough to give this to us, we should be thankful and use it all we can!" Her mischievous smile had returned. "If you need it, just call me. I want to keep a low profile, so I'll hide in your shadow when you're human, but I can change you whenever. You can be a wolf anytime you like! Also, thanks to this thing, you can warp whenever you want by switching into wolf form..." She then floated over to lean on my shoulder. "Hey, but listen, Link... I've got a little favor to ask..." I raised an eyebrow at that. Did she really have to ask? "Would you mind coming with me to find something called the Mirror of Twilight? It's hidden somewhere in Hyrule... Yes, the Mirror of Twilight... Our last potential link to Zant!"

I nodded as the mini-mage move in front of me, about to rejoin my shadow. "Just a second," I said. "You might as well warp me now. I don't think we can get out any other way."

She nodded. "Where to?" she asked simply.

"Castle Town," I replied in kind. There seemed to be no need for many words now.

There was no pain while becoming a wolf again, which allowed me to think about how she and I would be having a conversation soon. It could wait for the time being, but hopefully there would be a time in the near future for it. In the meantime, the tickle of teleportation was taking us to another adventure.


	11. Chapter 10: Getting to Know You

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so.

**Chapter 10: Getting to Know You**

I had hardly stepped onto the bridge into town when a familiar call reached my ears. "Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT!" I rolled my eyes as the running figure of the postman came to meet me from inside the city wall. He gave me his customary greeting, "Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter. It is a letter from Telma." I nodded and took the letter. I figured if I didn't say anything I wouldn't have to hear any more from him, and quite fortunately I was right. "Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!" With that, he turned and ran back into town.

"That guy gets on my nerves," I muttered as I tore the envelope open. The letter was indeed from Telma, requesting that I come to her tavern as soon as possible. Good thing that I was in the neighborhood. It took a few minutes after that to put the letter away with the others that I had received, as I had to search for the right pocket. Even thought it didn't look like it, there was a lot of space in the pouches Link carried and a lot of compartments to them. It would explain how he carried such things around.

A few minutes later, I was entering Telma's place when she called from behind the bar. "Oh my... If it isn't Link! You made it! How've you been, honey?!" She seemed to see something different in my face, perhaps I looked worn with the recent events that I had endured.

"I've had better days, but I'm fine," I answered, glad to respond in such a way.

"Mercy, but you have good timing. I was just talking about you! Hey, everyone!" She turned to call to a trio of people around a table in the rear, who looked up at us. "Introduce yourselves! This handsome young man is the infamous Link!" She turned back to me with a smile. "You remember what I told you before, honey? These are those friends I mentioned, the ones who are trying to help deal with all the troubles in Hyrule. Actually, there's one more of us, but there's been a disturbing turn of events in the eastern desert, so he's gone to check it out. He's an older man named Auru. If you happen to meet him, definitely take the time to talk with him, OK, honey? Well, you've come all the way here, honey, so why don't you relax a bit. Why don't you be sociable and talk to these folks? They're a jolly bunch!"

I couldn't help but smile a bit at her jovial attitude, it was quite infectious. I nodded as I walked over to the table in the back, which had the same map of Hyrule spread over it that I had seen before the vision. On my left was a scholarly young man wearing glasses. Standing behind him was a young girl wearing furs and her black hair up in twin buns. On my right sat a man wearing an old helmet, who spoke first.

"It has been a long time...Link!" His hands removed the helmet.

"Hey, Rusl!" I gasped in pleasant surprise.

The swordsman of Ordon smiled back at me. "My wife, Uli, sent word to me. I have seen the children in Kakariko Village! And, of course, I have also heard of your adventures! I must thank you for your help with Colin, Link. I barely recognized him..." He seemed troubled for a moment, but it passed before I could give it much thought. "In any case, I am troubled by my own inaction. I wanted to help the cause. These friends here... I have had a connection with them for a long while. Like the others, I am gathering information now. I will let you know if I hear anything."

I nodded and turned to the others at the table. The scholar opened his mouth, but the young lady beat him to the punch. "It's Ashei. I grew up in the mountains with my father, who was a knight in his own right. He taught me the arts of war as though I was his son. Of course, lessons in common courtesy were not part of the regimen, so forgive me if I come off as rude, yeah? Listen, before I blab both of your ears off, I want to tell you something. Snowpeak, the mountain to the north of Hyrule... It's unlike any mountain I've ever known. I don't know much yet, but things happen there that happen on no other mountain I know of. ...Evil controls it... As soon as I know something more, I'll tell you. Until then, you should stay away, yeah?"

She had spoken quickly and all I could do was nod again. And I thought that I was a talker. The sound of a throat being cleared reached my ears, and my attention was returned to the bespectacled man. "Hello there! You must be Link, correct? I'm Shad. Wonderful to meet you. Telma told me all you've been up to. You're rather formidable! I'm rather NOT, I'm afraid. Well, I'm formidable at book reading, but I lack, shall we say, physical skills." I had to fight back a bit of laughter at that, for I was no strongman in my own body. "That said, if the history and legends of Hyrule are your cup of tea, I'm your fellow! If you're curious, just ask away."

A number of different questions came to my mind then, but again, they would have to wait. Instead, I leaned over the map on the table, noticing the new mark that had been made. "That old codger Auru is at Lake Hylia, studying the desert," Shad said, pointing to the mark.

"Thanks. I'd better get going then. It was nice to meet you," I said politely as I turned to head out of the bar.

"How's that Ilia doing, honey?" Telma called as I passed her.

I stopped in my tracks. I hadn't been to see her since we had dropped her off in Kakariko. I might have to soon thought, just to keep appearances. Thankfully, the barkeeper didn't take my silence that way. "I'm sure that shaman will find a way to get her memory back. That Renado is a talented man, for sure! Anyway, honey, you've got your own things to worry about, so you just make sure you do what needs doing right now, OK?"

I smiled and nodded. "I will," I answered before stepping out the door. She had answered my internal struggle. There were places that I wanted to go, things I wanted to do, and questions, so many questions that I wanted to have answered. But Telma's words had set the course. It would be forward to the desert. I walked out of the south part of town and stopped. I had forgotten: my map was marked with the location of the white wolf near where I stood. I descended the steps in front of the town wall and circled around them to find the spiritual warrior. Teaching went quickly this time; I duplicated the Back Slice that he had taught me previously, and then quickly mastered the Helm Splitter. The feeling of leaping through the air with deadly grace gave me a rush like when I fought as a wolf. The deceased knight seemed quite pleased, though thoughtful, and vanished.

Afterwards, I asked Midna to warp us to Lake Hylia. From our landing point, it was a short climb and a walk to reach a small tower on the east side of the lake, with a brief stop to howl at another stone, soothing my savage beast again. At the top was a man wearing a hood, looking out at the distant desert.

"I thought it was about time for you to arrive... Master Link, is it?" He turned to face me, lowering his hood to reveal a gray beard on an experienced face. "I am Auru. I am part of the group that Telma kindly allows to meet at her bar. I have heard all about your deeds from her. Now... You being a courageous youth... You have likely heard of the strange events in the desert and come to investigate, no? Or am I mistaken? You do know, don't you, Master Link?"

"Know what?" I asked, unsure of what he was referring to.

"The Gerudo Desert once held a prison built to hold the worst criminals this land has ever known," Auru explained. "The criminals who were sentenced to death were sent directly to the underworld by a cursed mirror that was kept in the prison... Now that prison is condemned, and even the road leading to the desert is impassable. This desert at world's end... It still holds the cursed mirror and the malice of the doomed inmates... These old bones know that the evil currently plaguing Hyrule is related to this wicked place. So I have come to learn the truth... Master Link, I must ask... What will you do now? Don't tell me you plan to enter the desert and confirm my suspicions with your own eyes?!"

I nodded slowly, my expression solemn. "I must."

"Ah, is that so... Then let good old Auru help you out... You see Lake Hylia below us? A man named Fyer runs an amusement ride of sorts there. Give him this. See, long ago, I saved this man Fyer's life, and now he cannot refuse me if I ask a favor. If you leave the rest up to Fyer, all should go well."

I nodded and took the note that he proffered, and began the long climb back down the tower. '_The desert. Great. I live in the desert already and now I have to slog through sand and sun and monsters,_' I grumbled mentally as I headed along the path back to the lake's floating cannon. Once there, I found myself facing the strange man in pink once more. He was slumped against the steps of the cannon, snoring loudly. I shrugged and shook his shoulder. He didn't seem fully cognizant until I put the note in his hands, which he took a minute to read.

"Hrrrm... From old Auru, huh..." He muttered to himself for a moment before standing up. "Ah well, I guess I oughta do what the old coot says... Oasis flight...right? So here you go, one of our secret options not available to the general public... This time's all paid for...so whaddaya say? You wanna go?"

"Yeah, thanks." I replied. I wasn't thrilled about the idea, but there was no other way forward. 

"All right then... But remember, next time, you gotta pay! Sweet sailing, buddy of mine." I tried not to roll my eyes as I stepped into the contraption. "One for oasis...fire in the hole!" Fyer called as he started the cannon. This time was much worse, as I was dizzy and disoriented before being hurled through the air. As I had told Midna earlier, it's not the height that bothers me, but the fall. I found distant sand rushing at me at an alarming rate and I braced myself as best I could. The sand flew as I hit, my body carving out a small crater. I stood, shaking and brushing off the tiny irritants as best I could; the stuff got everywhere. It was then I took a good look at the land. Just as I had feared: dusty, sandy, and shimmering with heat. '_Nothing to do but get on with it,_' I thought as I moved on.

I had barely taken three steps when I heard Midna's voice behind me. "Wait, Link. Before we go on, there's something I want you to hear." I turned to face her. She seemed hesitant, pensive even. "...Do you remember what the spirit said about the Fused Shadows?" I nodded mutely in reply. "What do you think happened to the magic wielders who tried to rule the Sacred Realm? They were banished. They were chased across the sacred lands of Hyrule and driven into another realm by the goddesses. It was another world entirely... The antithesis of Hyrule, where the sun shines bright. Its denizens became shadows that could not mingle with the light. Eventually, most came to call it the Twilight Realm, and from it, none could return to the world of light... They were forever doomed to live in the twilight, flitting in the half-light of dusk, mere shadows of Hyrule... This is the history of the Twili as it has been passed down from our ancestors..."

She seemed to have a hard time looking at me as she spoke and my brow had furrowed in concern. "Do you now understand what I am?" she went on, clenching a fist. "I'm a descendant of the tribe that was banished to the Twilight Realm!" Her yell made me blink and step back in surprise. The Twili looked away again, seeming to be lost in memories. "It was a peaceful place...until Zant took control of the Twilight Realm and transformed all of the Twili into shadow beasts. It's clear to me now that he somehow gained a great evil power previously unknown to our tribe... In any case, I was sent from there, and could no longer get into the Twilight Realm without his power." Midna gathered herself as she gazed out over the desert, while I still watched her. "But there's another tale told by my people. Though the goddesses forbade us to return to the world of light, they left one link between the light and the darkness. Something called the Mirror of Twilight was passed to the protectors of Hyrule... It's our only path to the Twilight Realm...and we must get there!"

When she turned to look at me this time, I saw the same pleading look that she had given me when she had lain injured on my back. "You'll come with me...won't you?" she asked as her hand touched my face gently. No one had ever touched me that way before, and I liked it. I reached up to my face to touch her hand in return, but the imp pulled her hand back. I think we both felt a bit embarrassed.

Still, I smiled. "That took a lot of courage to tell me that," I said, giving Midna her turn to look surprised. "To tell a hero that you are associated with the enemy isn't easy for anyone. But what your heritage is doesn't change what I think of you."

"You're just saying that," came her reply as she looked at the sand again.

"It's true." I knew she might not believe me, but at I was being honest and that was what mattered. "In any case, you didn't have to ask. I'm coming with you weather you like it or not."

She smiled back at my response. "Thank you. And just so you know, I believe you." With that, she disappeared back into my shadow.

I didn't have to ask what she meant. She believed my story about being from another place. And that meant the world to me. Desert or not desert, nothing would stop us now.


	12. Chapter 11: Sand, Sun, and Swords

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so.

**Chapter 11: Sand, Sun, and Swords**

I had to save and stop for the night after our talk. I didn't mind too much as I went to bed. Work didn't bother me much either, though I was a little out of it since my thoughts were about Hyrule so much. I wondered if anyone in that mystic land ever noticed me leaving or suddenly shifting from one place to another when I stopped playing. Though it was hard to call it 'playing' anymore, I didn't really know what else to call it. I sweat a few bullets at the dinner table that night, for my little sister, Karin, was giving me odd looks. Did she know something? Was my body absent from our house now when I visited Hyrule? My nerves didn't stop me from getting to the Wii, though, and I started across the blazing hot desert.

The sand humped and retreated as worm-like monsters swam beneath the surface, jumping to attack me periodically. My Clawshot served me well, pulling them near so I could slice them in two. When their numbers increased, I just ran, avoiding them as they became more bothersome. I was able to catch a golden bug before reaching a plateau which had a large white stone projecting from the top. I grappled my way up to within a few steps of this mysterious structure, when the familiar thud of pillars landing reached my ears. I looked up to see a portal appear, dropping three shadow creatures from it.

"Midna, it's wolf time!" I called as I stepped back from their advance. The shadows concentrated around me and I fell forward onto four paws. Magic was already being sent to mark the three beasts; Midna was really on the ball. I smiled internally as I leaped, tearing through the monsters one by one. They all collapsed, dispersing into darkness to reopen the portal. It was still satisfying when I felled those things. I climbed up the two ledges in front of the strange pillar, in front of which Midna floated, inspecting it.

"What is this thing?" she asked out loud, more to herself than anything else. "It does seem to be man-made. I wonder what it is. Why is it there? It doesn't look like it's been there long, does it?"

I jerked my head to get her attention and she landed on my back for a moment. "_It's the piece of Eldin's bridge that was taken after we had crossed it,_" I explained.

"So that's why you wanted to open that portal," she said in an understanding tone. "Guess we better put it back then."

"_Yes, but bring us right back here, alright?_" I requested as she left my back again.

No matter how many times I saw it, I was still amazed that girl so small could heft something so large. Her magic hoisted it into the air before it dissolved into the portal, the two of us quickly following. She must have gone ahead of me to place the stonework properly, as I landed securely on it a moment later. I tried to look around for the imp, but she was already taking us back to the desert. "_Great,_" I thought sarcastically. "_Back to sand and sun._"

"It's not that bad, once you get used to it," was Midna's reply as she landed on my back again.

"_Easy for you to say. You're not wearing a fur coat,_" I retorted, already panting to ease the heat.

"You want to be human again? But you look nicer like this." She giggled at her own old joke. I'll have to admit I would have found it funny had I not been roasting.

"_While I agree with you, I still would rather sweat it out than die of heat stroke,_" I replied dryly.

She changed me back without another word and I headed north for the distant structure of the prison. I stopped on a ledge when I spotted a fire in the distance. I pulled out the Hawkeye mask and fit it on my face to see it better in the afternoon light. Four moblins sat around it, accompanied by two boars. Two more moblins kept lookout on wooden towers. '_I always did like sniping,_' I thought to myself as I pulled out my bow. I don't know where the crosshairs came from, but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. I took each sentry out with a single arrow. I'm not sure it helped since the four around the fire were alert anyway. They mounted the two boars and began riding around.

Removing the Hawkeye, I jumped off the ledge and started forward, arrow on the string. The sound of hooves caught my attention, and I turned my head to see one pair riding at me. I quickly raised my bow and eliminated the front one. With no one driving, the boar went off to crash into a stone wall, taking care of its other rider as well. After a moment, the beast of burden got back on its feet, apparently unharmed. I didn't feel like walking in the sand anymore, so I got on its back. It responded much like Epona did, that is until I gave it a gentle kick in the ribs. The boar took off and it was all I could do to hang on, let alone steer. We crashed through flimsy wooden structures and the nest thing I know, I'm being hurled through the air to skid on my front. I sat up with a groan, rubbing my head. I was now on a ledge above the camp, the boar below me, having stopped upon running into it. Poor dumb beast.

I brushed myself off and got up, turning to my left to see a familiar white wolf. I drew my sword and readied myself as I neared him. I still blanked out for a moment when he jumped at me, opening my eyes to the surreal plain once more.

"Welcome back, young warrior," came the rasp of the shade. "It is time for you to learn the next skill. I know you just learned the last ability, so I will not test you." I raised an eyebrow at that. The game wasn't in control of him anymore it seemed. "Instead I will ask you this: Why have you changed?"

That question brought me up short. "What do you mean by that?" I asked with a confused look on my face.

"You are not the same as when I saw you a few hours ago," he replied. "Your hair is shorter and darker, your eyes are not as blue, and your voice is changing as well."

In that moment, I realized that it had been some time since I had taken stock of myself while in Hyrule. I took a breath to remain calm as I looked down at myself. I was dressed in the full garb of the chosen hero; green tunic, leather gloves, and simple boots. I also realized that I had been this way here for a while, probably since I had pulled out the Master Sword. I raised the blade to look at my reflection and blinked in surprise. My hair was half brown mixed with half blonde, longer than my own, but shorter than Link's, and the blue of my eyes was tinted with a bit of hazel.

"It's a long story," I answered at last. The only way I could describe my voice was that it was only a quarter mine and three-quarters someone else. I had never heard Link speak so it was hard to tell.

"I see," said the shade after a moment. "I will give you time to think about it. You may answer me the next time we meet. In the meantime, I believe that I can still trust you with the ancient skills, even though we now enter the realm of true secrecy. Do you still wish to learn this skill?"

I took a breath to put my thoughts out of my mind. They could wait until later. "Yes."

"Good. I shall now teach you the Mortal Draw. Let it be hewn into your mind! If an enemy is quick, as well as well armored, it can be difficult to use other skills. To use this technique, one must cast away the most basic of sword skills: the Z-targeting. Sheath your blade and wait for your foe to approach without Z-targeting him. And then, while his guard is down…"

There was a clang that echoed for what seemed to be an eternity. The ghostly teacher had drawn his blade and brought it toward my head with a speed I did not think him capable of. But his face had a look of surprise, as he saw my blade against his, for in the instant of his movement, I had raised up my own sword to block.

"Do you not trust me with your life?" he asked with amusement.

I couldn't help but chuckle. He reminded me of my martial arts teacher. "Yes, but instincts can be difficult to overcome," I replied with a smile.

The shade stepped back. "True. There is no defense against this technique. The Mortal Draw means death. Now, come at me!"

It took a couple tries to get out my sword fast enough from the scabbard on my back, but I had it down within ten minutes. I took a few deep breaths to cool down as I put away my sword and shield, still watched by my tutor.

"You are a mystery, I must admit," he stated plainly. "But I must admit that I look forward to the time when we shall meet again. Keep working until that day." I could only nod in reply before I found myself back in the desert. I blinked as the setting sun cast it rays across the rocks around me, getting used to the light before moving on.

The dusk deepened as I came onto the outskirts of a fortress. I looked through the Hawkeye again to spot more sentries on wooden scaffolding.

"So how are we going to get by them?" I nearly jumped out of my skin and almost alerted the guards as Midna popped up next to me.

"Don't do that!" I whispered harshly. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

She blinked at me for a moment before shaking her head. "You use odd phrases in your world."

"Yeah." I shrugged before turning back to look at the moblins again. "Why do you care how _we_ get in there? _I_ am the one risking my neck."

I felt her lean on my shoulder as she peered to look in the same direction. "I know. I don't want to go looking for another crazy hero."

I rolled my eyes before drawing my bow. "Watch and learn." I sniped the two guards before moving further in, Midna retreating to my shadow. The twilight deepened as I took out every monster in my path, none of them showing signs of what had killed them. Sure, I could have been gung-ho and charged in laying about me with my sword, but knowing that my own body may now be on the line made me more cautious. Besides, I was having fun. I found a key to unlock a square paddock of sorts, in which a single boar stood. The doors slammed shut behind me as I stepped inside and the chunky leader that I had defeated twice already stood before me with a very large battle ax in his grubby hands.

The battle was fairly short. I jumped over his ax when it was swung low, applying the Helm Splitter as I passed his head. When he swung it high, I would roll beneath to Back Slice his rear. I pressed my attack relentlessly, until he dropped his ax and gripped his arm. My heart was still racing and my palms sweat as he left. I blinked as the heat increased suddenly; the place was on fire! I looked for a way out and only saw the boar. I didn't like it, but it was the only way. A minute later, the oversized pig was barreling out of the enclosure with me clinging to its back. Fortunately, it slowed down once we were a ways from the flames. I found myself looking up at the crumbling structure that was once a prison. I dismounted and ascended the steps, steeling myself for what lay ahead. I didn't like the undead one bit, but that didn't keep me from entering.


	13. Chapter 12: The Spirits in the Prison

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so. Sorry that it's been a while since I updated.

**Chapter 12: The Spirits in the Prison**

'_At least it's well lit,_' I thought to myself as I walked down a gently sloping stair. The sound of rushing sand filled my ears as I came into the first room, which was a pit off the stuff, with a few sinkholes for good measure. More worm enemies jumped about here, which I took care of as they threatened me. I crossed using the Clawshot and a few jumps. It was business again as I pulled a chain to open the way forward. I found it easier to walk on the sand as a wolf, not being as heavy as before, though it was a little disorienting to keep switching bodies. A little while later I ventured into a larger chamber, where four floating lanterns took flames from pedestals, shutting a large portcullis. Three of them left, disappearing through the walls, but one remained behind. I became a wolf and honed my senses to reveal a Death stand-in. My attempts at attack failed until he turned blue, after which I quickly felled the spirit, releasing the flame from the lantern, which returned to its pedestal. Much as the scent burned my lupine nose, I followed the trails left behind to find the other three, operating switches and navigating traps along the way.

I might have imagined it, but I felt something different about Midna as we delved deeper into the dungeon. She was as flippant and goal-minded as usual, but I could still feel like something had changed. In her countenance, her aura, or whatever you want to call it. But then again, I might be fooling myself. It was hard to tell what was real and what wasn't now, and I might never be sure again. And hopefully, the Twili wasn't eavesdropping on my thoughts.

After eliminating the Poes, the portcullis rose to allow us through into a circular chamber with a gear hole of sorts in the floor. Instead, we moved down a side corridor, which dropping down a shaft and finding more skeletons and moving spikes. I sighed; the novelty of playing the hero was wearing off. I stretched, human again, as I entered another circular room, a sword stood, its blade embedded in the ground, seemingly tied down by ropes draped with marked slips of paper.

Midna emerged from my shadow to inspect the sight with me. "What's with ropes and paper? The sword looks stuck to me," she said as she held one paper, running her fingers over it.

"I think they're wards," I answered, rubbing my chin as I walked among the lines. "Spells that work against evil spirits. They must be keeping something trapped here."

"Really?" As Midna turned to face me, the sound of ripping echoed in the room. We both winced as we looked at the ward that had torn off into her hand. "Oops," she said softly. The sword glowed red with arcane designs and the ropes ignited, burning away the spells that had held it in place. We jumped back to avoid being burnt, but the fire was quickly gone. The black and crimson blade floated into the air before swinging between us, putting a long crack in the stone floor.

"Uh, oh," I muttered softly before calling out, "Wolf time, Midna!" Once canine again, I sharpened my senses to reveal a horned demon wielding the large weapon. I waited until he attacked, dodging to the side before lunging at the foe. It shook us off, but not before I had left some bite marks. His blade swung again and I jumped backwards, feeling the edge shave off some fur. "_That was too close,_" I thought before leaping at the ghost again. "_I'm. Really. Getting. Tired. Of. The. Dead!_" I mentally shouted each time that I sank my teeth in.

"You don't have to be so loud." I rolled my eyes as Midna complained. I'll admit that I'm not the bravest man in the world, but I can handle my own, normally.

"_But zombies creep me out,_" I retorted as my paws touched the ground again.

"Aw, come on, they're just misunderstood," she countered.

I would have laughed at the fact that we were having this conversation in the middle of a battle if the danger hadn't been so real. Meanwhile, the demon had taken to the air, visible without my eyes tuned to it.

"_Just make me human again so I can shoot the dumb thing,_" I growled.

"Sure thing, oh brave hero," her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Once more human, I sent an arrow into the monster. It circled around me a few times before swooping down to strike. I dodged, and jumped to attack. The fights were predictable, but at least the adrenaline rush was still thrilling. After another round of arrows and slashing, the blade was no more and the spirit gave up the ghost (pun fully intended), dissolving into a swarm of bats which vanished thought a hole in the ceiling high above. I took a moment to catch my breath and claimed my prize from the chest nearby, something called a Spinner. Not the most inventive name, but accurate. I had never skateboarded before, but it seemed like the same principle. I jumped on the oversized top and glided over to a rail set in the wall. The Spinner latched on and moved along the length, but I was also spinning in place. I shook my head when I got off near the exit; it was not my favorite form of travel.

Unfortunately for me, getting back to chamber with the hole in the floor involved a lot of Spinner track and jumping between them. Once there, I set the Spinner into the hole, using it to activate a mechanism that turned the walls to reveal another vertical chamber. Another set of rail riding later had me in front of the boss's lair, on my knees, and very queasy. Midna wasn't making things any easier.

"You really are no hero," she commented dryly as she stood in front of me. "You don't like the undead, you don't like heights, and you can't take a little spinning.

"Keep it up and I'll throw you down there and you can try it," I shot back, in no mood for her attitude.

"What kind of world do you come from that you can't take a little adventure?" she asked in equal parts puzzlement and disdain.

I sighed as I stood, leaning against the wall. "A life of luxury compared to this. I keep forgetting how good I've got it."

"Really?" Midna floated to stay eye level with me, now intrigued. "You don't seem spoiled."

"By the standards of my society, I'm not," I explained, starting to feel better. "It's a different way of life, for sure, but I try to remember that others have it worse than I do. We tend to take things for granted."

"Doesn't sound too different from here," the imp replied. "Still, I'd like to see this world of yours someday."

Something about her words struck a chord inside me, and I had to look at her face to make sure that she wasn't joking again. Her smile was genuine, one I couldn't help but return with my own. "Maybe I can show you someday. You never know."

She nodded and took the key, unlocking the large chains that held the door in place. I stood straight and strode forward, my friend at my side, not really caring when the same door shut behind us. A bowl of sand lay before us, a stone ramp leading down into it, with the largest skeleton that I had ever laid eyes on sat at the end.

"This isn't going to come alive on us, is it?" I asked with distaste as I walked down the ramp.

"I don't feel any magic in it," said Midna, also eyeing the dead beast.

Before we could examine it further, a sound like static filled the air and Zant appeared on the skull of the creature. The Master Sword was in my hand in an instant.

"Well, that saves us the trouble of tracking you down, now doesn't it?" I jeered at the tyrant.

Zant did not respond, but looked over us both. "You still live... How astonishing. No wonder some call you 'hero'," he said, his voice conveying amusement. "But this is truly a bittersweet reunion... Truly! For I fear this is the last time I will see you alive!"

A sword appeared in his hand and I readied to fight him, but instead the blade was stabbed into skull on which he stood. "Hey, come back here you coward!" I yelled, but he had already gone.

"I think we have another problem," Midna noted as the skeleton reared up on its spine, eye sockets glowing red. It unleashed a putrid roar and I had to cover my face to block the smell.

"Ew, yuck!" came Midna's disgust before she dived back into my shadow, leaving me to battle the beast on my own. The base of its spine seemed darker than the rest; it was probably the area to attack. I knew I couldn't walk on the sand with any speed, so I hopped on the Spinner, and in two blinks, I had crashed through a section of backbone. To keep my momentum, I hopped on a rail that circled the lip of the sand bowl, waiting until I was a ways around the skeleton before jumping off to make another run at it. But as I approached, smaller skeletons rose from the sand, blocking my path. I bounced from one to another before finding myself back on the rail.

"Now I know what a pinball feels like," I muttered to myself. I tried again, this time dodging the obstacles before taking out another section of spine. I smiled; one more should do the trick. But more skeletons arose, forming a shield around my target. It took a few more tries, but I finally dealt one more blow. The beast cried out before it sank into the sand. I had hopped off the Spinner to watch and found myself sinking as the sand drained away to some unknown place. When it was gone, I found myself at the bottom of the chamber, with only the skull of my foe left. Another gear hole sat in the center, so I made use of it and the internal gears raised a pillar to be level with the exit.

But as I stepped towards the door, I felt something behind me. I turned to see the skull with the sword still embedded in it, floating in mid-air! I glanced behind me to see where the edge of the pillar was, and when I looked back, the skull charged at me, knocking me back. As I had told Midna before, it's not the height that worries me, but the fall from it. I had time enough to think of what the landing might be like when it happened. A yell of pain escaped my lips as back and ribs burned with a sharp, shooting pain. I didn't want to, but I had to move, as the skull was somewhere near. I stood, and noticing a track, I got on the Spinner again.

The dizziness did nothing good for the pain in my back as I ascended the center pillar. Soon, the floating head came into view and sent something like a fireball at me. I jumped the top to another track on the outer edge to avoid it, and back again to avoid another. After dodging one more, the cranium came in between the two tracks, and I jumped to launch into it. The bone fell to the ground and I landed safely next to it. I rushed forward, drawing my sword and slashing at the blade that gave it life. After a few hits, it rose and took off again. It was about fifteen minutes and two more rounds later that the skull shrieked in pain. I rode my way up to the top of the pillar, wanting the high ground, but it wasn't necessary. The blade spun through the air, exploding in a cloud of black smoke, leaving a much needed Heart Container.

I collected it as the gate blocking the room's exit rose, a bridge extending to it. My injury was instantly healed as the magical object revived me. But now I had to be more careful than ever, or I would end up injured and unable to continue if more things like that happened.

Midna popped up beside me. "All right, Link, let's go! We're close to the Mirror of Twilight..." I rolled my eyes; she hadn't been involved in that last battle. Maybe I could talk to her about that later, along with the use of my name. In any case, I was just glad to step out into the night air.


	14. Chapter 13: Confronting the Past

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so.

**Chapter 13: Confronting the Past**

"_No rest for the weary,_" I thought as I bit into another shadow beast. Promptly after climbing onto the top of the prison, a number of Twilight monsters emerged from a portal, once again calling me into wolf form to dispatch of them. All the fighting was definitely wearing thin. Midna, however, seemed to have more energy than ever.

"Back you vile creatures!" she shouted as she laid down her magic field, snaring three for me to maul into defeat. "'Atta boy! Now hurry on up that pillar!" I rolled my eyes as soon as I was human again. She was treating me more like a dog than a wolf, no matter what form I was in. I did as she said and rode the Spinner track up to the top, inserting the gear into a hole and working the mechanism within. With great rumbling, the six pillars surrounding us rose, pulling chains that lifted a large black stone slab to hang above me. The pillar I had been standing on sank into the floor, while a pedestal of sorts appeared behind me. I had to admit, I was feeling a bit intimidated.

Midna floated over to the pedestal, moving up to look at a stand there. Her eyes widened and her jaw clenched while mine dropped as I stepped towards the platform. Only one quarter of the mirror was there. A growl escaped the imp's throat before she cried out to starry sky, "DAMN!!!" I winced a little. I hadn't heard a character in a Zelda game use curse words like that before and it bothered me a little. I ascended the steps as she let herself slip to the ground. "So close," she was saying softly as she fell to her knees, then all fours. "I was so close. Now this."

I just stood there silently, letting her have a moment. She was frustrated, I could understand that. I, too, had thought that we were close to the end until I had seen the mirror. Now I remembered that we still had a long way to go. I blinked and looked up though as something caught the edge of my vision. On top of five of the pillars were men, if you could call them that, with white robes and white masks that seemed to give off their own light. But what struck me most were the familiar symbols on their chests and on the pillars that they stood on.

"A dark entity lurks in the twilight... It houses an evil power..." Their voices were strange in and of themselves, but there was also something strangely familiar about them. The sound had also prompted Midna to raise her head.

"You who are guided by fate... You who possess the crest of the goddesses...

Hear us," spoke the spirit that wore the symbol of fire, in a deep tone.

"At the command of the goddesses, we sages have guarded the Mirror of Twilight since ancient times," added the one that bore the symbol of water, in a flowing manner.

The one with the forest seal spoke next. "You seek it...but the Mirror of Twilight has been fragmented by mighty magic." His tone was somewhat melodious to my surprise.

"That magic is a dark power that only he possesses..." said the spirit with the emblem of shadow, in a no-nonsense tone.

Finally the spirit of light said, "His name is... Ganondorf."

I blinked, for I had not expected to hear that name, but it didn't surprise me. It always came down to the tyranny of that one selfish man. Midna moved up to rest in the mirror's frame as they spoke in unison again and a vision unfolded before my eyes.

"He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm. He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness... But he was blind... In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was exposed, subdued, and brought to justice. Yet... By some divine prank, he, too, had been blessed with the chosen power of the gods. His abiding hatred and lust for power turned to purest malice... Perhaps that evil power has been passed on to Zant..." Their narration showed me Ganondorf being sent to the Twilight realm from the chamber in which we stood. My brow furrowed as Midna piped up.

"You're just now figuring out where Zant got his power? It's far too late..." I sighed as I spared her a glance. From so high to so low so fast. She really seemed so depressed that I wondered if she would be alright.

"Only the true leader of the Twili can utterly destroy the Mirror of Twilight... so Zant could merely break it into pieces," explained the sages further. "Once broken by magic, the Mirror of Twilight became fragments, which even now lie hidden across the land of Hyrule."

"One is in the snowy mountain heights..." said the Light sage as he pointed north.

"One is in an ancient grove..." said those of Shadow and Forest as they gestured southwest.

"And one is in the heavens..." finished Water and Fire as they raised their arms upward.

They then all turned to me. "You who have been sent by the goddesses... You should be able to gather the three pieces... But you must be prepared, for a dangerous power resides in those fragments..."

I nodded, but I had to get something off my chest. "One question before we go. Who are you?"

The sages looked at each other for a moment before the Sage of Shadow replied, "Have we not made that clear?"

"Not according to your history lesson." I had to breathe. For some reason I felt angry at having this plot-hole before me. "I have seen the Imprisoning War with my own eyes," I began, casting my gaze at each sage in turn. "I saw the Hero of Time battle Ganondorf with the Master Sword I now carry. I saw Princess Zelda's ancestor seal Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm with the aid of six other sages, who were all friends of the Hero of Time. I have seen all their faces and did not see yours among them. So who are you?" I had to fight to control my tone. History had been twisted before me, history that I had lived (though through another game), and I couldn't stand for a bastardization of the facts.

The sages once again exchanged looks, their mask faces frustratingly unreadable. "You know much," said the Sage of Light, "Too much for a boy from Ordon. We would ask you the same question."

"Does it really matter?" I countered. Midna was tugging at my tunic, hissing at me to shut up, but I didn't care. "You wouldn't believe me anyway. It doesn't matter how I know, I know. Why is your version of history different?"

The sages turned to one another again, but this time I could tell there was some sadness between them. "You are correct, young hero," began the Sage of Fire. "We are not those original sages. Those sages returned to Hyrule once their task had been completed, living out their lives in peace."

The Sage of Water continued, "Zelda would have told the tale to all of Hyrule, to warn them of the dangers of pursuing the Triforce, and in the Sacred Realm, but the king of that time would not hear of it. Spreading of the story would only place doubt in the capabilities of Zelda, the future Queen, since she claimed that her mistakes were what brought the war about."

"So he covered it up," added the Sage of Forest, "And appointed the six of us in the place of the true sages, so as to provide a grain of truth. But we had no power of our own for some years, which has now followed us into the afterlife."

"Unfortunately, the gaining of our powers came at a price," explained the Sage of Shadow. "We made mistakes, and the Sage of Spirit lost his life in an accident."

My lips moved about on my face as I thought. I was satisfied with their explanation, but something else bothered me. "But what about Ganondorf? He was sent to the Sacred Realm, not the Twilight Realm, so how did Zant gain such power?" I glanced down at Midna, who seemed a bit confused, but also interested in our conversation.

The Sage of Light spoke, though I was still having trouble telling the difference between their voices. "We can only suppose that he found a way from one realm to the other, though we wonder if the two haven't merged with time. Since both are versions of Hyrule, it is not impossible, but we do not think that this is the case."

The sages all bowed before speaking as one again. "Our apologies for deceiving you, but we were sworn to secrecy by the king."

I nodded and sighed. "And my apologies for getting angry. What happened is no fault of yours. Thank you for being honest."

The night consumed the spirits as they faded away and I turned to look at Midna. "Shall we go?" I asked in a conversational tone.

"Yeah…" I could tell she was thinking, and the look in her eyes before she warped me away was one of doubt and worry; the same look she gave me when I first told her who I was.


	15. Chapter 14: Ascending Snowpeak

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so.

**Chapter 14: Ascending Snowpeak**

I wasn't sure if continuing the adventure was a wise move as I appeared next to Castle Town, but for a lack of something better I kept on. I got a letter about a new type of bomb at Barnes' shop, but decided to leave it for now. I wandered into a tent in town finding a game that had my using the Clawshot to zip around a cage full of lights. Hearing a few girls cheer me on was a boost to the ego, but the fan girl screams were also getting annoying. In any case, I won the game, much to the chagrin of the owner, who reluctantly handed over a bigger quiver of arrows.

I then went to Telma's bar to check the map on the table there. "Ashei mentioned Snowpeak Mountain and headed off," said Auru, who had returned from the lake. I left without saying anything; I was in no mood for pleasantries. The novelty of the adventure had worn off and I was starting to get tired of it. The sooner I finished it, the sooner things would go back to normal and the sooner I could get it out of my mind. I had to stop thinking about this place and the confusion that led me to it, or else I might really go mad.

After warping to Zora's Domain (with another look from Midna), I made my way to a cave that had been previously covered by ice. Some Zoras told me about strange people and things coming and going from the area recently, which I thought to be connected to what Ashei might be investigating. I shivered involuntarily as I stepped into the tunnel hewn into the rock surrounding the domain, for a chill wind blew through it, and ever step was another degree colder. I couldn't help but pause as I emerged from the other end, looking out from atop a low cliff over a body of water with large chunks of ice floating in it, everything covered in white snow. It took me a moment to notice someone standing in front of me, so transfixed I was by the quiet beauty of the landscape.

"Link?" The figure removed the hood it wore to reveal Ashei. "What brings you to a dangerous place like this? Ever since Zora's Domain got covered in ice, this mountain's been much colder than usual, yeah?" I nodded mutely, letting her go on. "Not only that, but I heard a really weird story from the Zoras. Apparently, the beast that lives somewhere on this mountain has been seen frequently in Zora's Domain. I was curious, so I came and waited...and as they'd said, a giant appeared! Yeah, it looked like this..." I took the sketch that she offered and fought not to make a face; it was clear that she was no artist. "Apparently, this thing's been stealing red fish from the village. I want to investigate further...but I can't even see the path through this blizzard, yeah? I'm sure you're here because you're curious about the mountain, but best not go without a plan."

I nodded before turning away, following the sound of the waterfall. I had lived in cold places before and just standing on the sheltered cliff had me shivering, leaving me to wonder how bad it would be out in the driving snow. Perhaps the fur coat of the wolf would keep me from freezing, but little good it would do me if I got lost in a white out. In need of more information, I showed a few Zoras the sketch Ashei had given me and a few recognized the red fish that the best carried, saying that the prince alone could catch them. I was a little surprised that Midna didn't say anything when I asked her to transport me to Kakariko, but she probably just wanted to get it over with as well. Once human again, I headed for the graveyard, acting on a hunch. I smiled for the first time in a while as my suspicion was confirmed; the prince was next the royal grave. He turned to look at me a moment as I swam over.

"Is... Is your name Link?" he asked as I pulled myself onto solid ground. I nodded as I attempted to squeeze some of the water out of my tunic. "My mother came to me in a dream... She showed me your image. She spoke of a youth who would save our domain and steer my fate. One named Link. I must thank you for all you've done. If there is anything I can ever do for you, please tell me. Please..."

If ever there was a cue to show him the sketch that was it. I couldn't help but marvel at how the things in the pouches around my waist remained dry and safe no matter what I went through. I twisted my hat to dry it as Ralis looked at the drawing.

"Hmm... The beast-man of the snowy mountain...perhaps?" he mused, resting a finger on his chin in thought. "But more important is this red fish it is holding... It must be a reekfish. That is a rare specimen found only in the Zora village. It feeds on a valuable type of coral, and without that bait, even our best fishers cannot catch one." He paused as he turned to show me the fin that would be his left ear. "Look closely, Link... My earring is made of this coral. I would like to give it to you. I received it from my mother... But it is fine. I no longer need it. As I look at you, I get a sense of what my mother wanted, what I should be doing now..." He looked up at the sky, which was becoming lighter with down. "I will return to my village. The reekfish can be found near the Mother-and-Child Rocks in the waterfall basin near my village. The fish are red, so I think you should be able to spot them."

I nodded my thanks as I took the hook made of coral. It was much smoother than I thought it would be. I felt a bit better than I had before, even if the prince's words were according to script. I gave him a smile as I stood. "You know…" I said, "I think you'll be a great leader someday."

For the first time, the royal Zora smiled. "Thank you," was his simple reply. Maybe the script wasn't as strong as I thought.

After more swimming and a warp, I was back at the domain, picking a spot on the shore not far from the two uneven rocks that the crimson fish swam around. With the new hook on the end of my bobber line, I settled down to wait for a bite. Once again, I found myself pondering how things were changing. The game physics were now no different from reality and my hair was shorter still than before and a bit thicker. I was beginning to wonder if Midna thought any different of me for my outburst at the sages when my bobber sank. I yanked and the line set. My heels dug into the ground as I pulled; this fish was fighting. I chuckled as I reeled my catch in; the struggle was always a thrill. As I landed the slippery swimmer, I resolved to fish more, but as the smell kit my nostrils, I decided that it wouldn't be in this spot.

I swallowed and paused before speaking. "Okay Midna, wolf time again."

Almost as soon as she came up, she pinched her nose in disgust. "Oh yuck! That's just disgusting." After waving her hand in front of her face a moment, she looked at me sideways. "Are you sure you want to be a wolf with that smell?"

I swallowed again, suddenly feeling akin to a garbageman. "There's no other way to track this man-beast up the mountain. Let's just get it over with."

The Twili nodded and I felt the shift come upon me as she landed on my back. If the smell had burned my nose before, it was like magma in my olfactory now. Still, I took a few more sniffs to get it in mind before heading across to the cave. I didn't feel the cold nearly as much as I had as a human as I made my way down the cliff and across the frozen lake. Midna, however…

"I p-preferred t-the d-d-desert," she said through chattering teeth, and I was pretty sure that she was hugging her arms around herself for warmth too.

"_It's not that bad once you get used to it,_" I chuckled. I couldn't help but give her a taste of her own words.

"Easy f-for you t-to say," she shot back. "You've g-got a f-fur coat."

I blinked to get some snowflakes out of my eyes as I moved up the slope and let out a growl as my vision cleared. "_Maybe a fight will warm you up._" White wolves moved across the drift to jump at us, almost ethereal in their movements. I decided to keep moving, only biting at those that came too close. I didn't need Midna freezing out here, though I wondered if she had any magic to keep herself warm.

We kept on, the blizzard weakening as we got higher up. A few Poes, some bats, and more wolves tried at us, but they were more a nuisance than anything else. I got to relieve some stress at another howling stone before digging into a cave. It was warm enough in there, and my wolf form couldn't climb ladders, so I turned human for a bit, but changed back when I saw we were going outside. It was fairly foggy and the scent was stronger than ever, so we had to be close. But, as always, a number of shadow beasts appeared and this time, some local ice bats were around too. When I would jump at one beast, a bat would freeze me in mid-air, leaving me open to me swatted aside. I growled in frustration. "_That's it! No more Mister Nice Wolf!_" I yelled mentally before pouncing on everything in sight, biting and clawing everything to shreds. As the portal above opened, I panted to catch my breath. I paused as I felt a small hand stroking the fur on my head.

"You're scary sometimes, Tyler," said Midna as the sun pierced the fog, revealing the stark beauty of the mountains around us. "Brave, but scary."

"_Have to keep you on your toes don't I?_" I replied, which got a small laugh in return. I looked up to see the man-beast that had been depicted in the drawing standing on the very top of the mountain next to a silvery tree, a big red fish in hand. "_Better be human,_" I said as I stepped towards it. I was human again as I approached and the would-be abominable snowman turned at the sound of the snow crunching under my feet.

"Uh! Whoa-ho! I heard ruckus, and uh! Just a human!" Just a human? How could he not notice all the monsters around here? "I see humans not often, uh? Why human come to snows? You...on spiritual journey? You look for true self?"

I chuckled at his question. He seemed pretty intelligent for all the gossip I had heard from the Zoras and he seemed friendly enough. "No. I came up here looking for pieces of a big mirror."

He nodded before replying. "...Uh. You look for mirror in such faraway place... But you make good climb! And you lucky to meet me! I found shiny mirror piece! Same mirror you look for, uh? Uh! You come to house and see yourself! I caught fish. I make hot meal, at least... My house far away... We slide there, uh? Do like me! Come!" With that eagerness, he hit the tree that he stood next to and balanced on the oversized frozen leaf that had fallen. With a happy grunt he was away down the slope.

"You've got to be kidding me," Midna exclaimed as she popped up to watch him take off. "That's too dangerous. He'll break his neck. And he wants to follow him? That's the craziest-" She stopped short when she saw another leaf hit the ground, courtesy of my rolling into the tree. Her eyes looked at me incredulously as I smiled, stepping up to the make shift sled. "You're not serious…"

"I've always wanted to try snowboarding," I mused out loud as I took a stance on the leaf.

"You are serious. You're insane!" cried Midna as she floated up to grab onto my shoulder. "What are you doing? Wha…" She trailed off as she realized that her bump into me was all that was necessary to start us down the trail. "Oh no."

My grin widened as the powdery snow kicked up behind us, jumping a small gap as I got my first taste of an extreme sport. "Yahoo!" I whooped as we gained speed, my imp companion clinging for dear life on my back with her arms around my neck and her legs around my chest. "Loosen up, Midna!" I called over the whistle of the wind. "Have some fun!" The trail led us down across a bat guarded bridge and then over a cliff into a grove of pine trees.

"We're going to die! You're going to get us killed!" Midna's shrill yells, whimpers and threats echoed in my ears, but I didn't really care at the moment. A long gentle curve led us down in front of the steps of a mansion sitting high above a canyon in the range. I hopped off the leaf to let it shatter against the stone as I came down from my adrenaline high.

"Whee!" I laughed. "We'll have to do that again sometime." I stopped when I noticed that Midna's grip hadn't lessened one bit. "Hey," I dropped my tone to be a bit more reassuring. "It's okay. We're here." Reluctantly, her hold on me relaxed as she let herself drift down to sit on the ground. I turned and kneeled to look at her more closely. "Are you okay?"

Her look and answer was all I needed; "If you ever do anything like that again, I'll kill you." I couldn't help but smile once more; we were friends still.


	16. Chapter 15: The Snowbound Mansion

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so.

**Chapter 15: The Snowbound Mansion**

Midna got up after a moment and I turned to look up at the mansion that we had stopped in front of. "Hard to believe anyone would build a place out here," I commented as we headed up the steps.

"What's with this guy? He's got a nice place...for a beast-man," she replied as I opened the front door. Suits of armor led to an open foyer with broken staircases, missing woodwork in the floor revealed ice underneath, and there were large holes in the ceiling as well.

"Seems like this place needs some upkeep," I noted as we moved in further. When a distinct and familiar rattling noise reached out ears, I felt the shift into wolf form without even asking, for there was a Poe hovering in the middle of the room. "_The welcoming party needs a bit of work too,_" I added with a growl. After quickly dispatching it, Midna changed me back so that I could open the door in front of us before slipping back into my shadow. I sighed as we entered room warm with the glow and heat of a cheery fire in a hearth opposite us. A few chairs and a couch added to the sparse décor, but it was the form sitting next to the flames that caught my attention. It seemed wrapped up in a blanket, and both bigger around and taller than I was, if it were standing.

"...Who?" it called in a soft voice as I entered. "Uh... Sorry... I have sickness, uh... Come closer, uh?"

As I walked over, I noticed that it was female by its feminine face, though it was probably a man-beast like the other one.

"You cute little human. Husband told me you come. You want to look at mirror,

uh?" I nodded, silently wondering how he and she got together. "My husband found it, but it pretty thing, uh. But...since I get mirror, I get sick, and then bad monsters appear... So many bad things happen since mirror... So we lock bedroom on third floor where it hangs, uh? Wait... I tell you where key is... Fever makes head blurry, but... It probably here in the room marked by this symbol..." With that, she presented me with a map of the house, one room marked with said symbol. "But right now... can't even get up. Would you bring it to me, uh? Start with door right here..."

I nodded again as I headed for the first of three other doors in the room, the only one unlocked. Beyond, I found the first man-beast stirring a large pot of what seemed to be soup. Out of curiosity, and a sudden hunger, I came to stand on a crate next to it.

"Uh! You!" he grunted as he looked up from stirring. "Wife...look bad, uh? Not healthy since mirror... So I make soup for her. Fish from Zora village are most nutritious! You tired, uh? You have some. It gives you energy!"

"Thanks," I said with a shrug, thinking "_What the heck?_" as I dipped an empty bottle into the broth. I hadn't tasted fish soup before, but it wasn't bad. Feeling a bit better, I moved into the room beyond, which had some blocks to shove. After solving that puzzle, I entered an open courtyard, which I crossed as a wolf. A few more rooms, some digging, and a lesson in basic cannon operations later, I found myself in a room with only a door in a grating separating me from the chest with the key in it. But as I approached the door, icicles as large as a man fell from the ceiling and formed into thin, spear-throwing skeletons. I raised my shield to block the thrown weapons before striking back with my sword, shattering each with a few strikes. After they were gone, I took a breath, feeling better about myself at that moment, until I opened the chest on the other side of the grating.

"What's this? This isn't right!" Midna said in disbelief as she emerged to look for herself at the orange pumpkin that lay in the chest. "She got the wrong locations. Want to go back and try to get her to remember where the key is?"

I grunted as she disappeared again. First a search for the mirror, and now a wild goose chase for a key. Things just couldn't stay good for a decent amount of time. I took the pumpkin anyway and headed back. I don't know it fit in my pouch, but it did. As I passed by the soup pot again, I heard the budding chef muttering something to himself.

"What flavor... Uh... PUMPKIN!" I jumped at his shout and turned to find him bearing down on me. "You have pumpkin, uh?" With that, he knocked me to the floor, snatched the pumpkin, and plopped it in the soup. "Thanks, uh! You taste if you want!"

"_Some thanks_, _knocking me on my rear like that,_" I thought as I waved him off for the time being.

After telling his wife the problem, she looked thoughtful for a moment. "...What? Pumpkin? But why there? No good, uh... Where I leave it? Uh! Maybe in THAT room." Though I didn't see her move her hands, if she had any, the symbol moved to another room. Apparently, a few game mechanics remained. "Go to room marked by symbol... Check room I marked on map, uh."

I sighed as I exited out the next door that had been unlocked. This wasn't my day. A few more rooms, a bit more fighting as a wolf, and another cannon shot later, I entered into a caged room with two suits of armor, the door to where the key should be at the other end. I sighed at the pattern and moved to open the door when it was blocked, and I hear the creak that told the other was blocked too. Something wasn't right.

There was a soft clink, and I jumped to the side just as the suit of armor behind me was smashed to pieces by something in the other suit, swinging a large ball and chain. "Definitely not my day," I muttered to myself as it approached. I tried to roll around to back slice him, but the arc of the ball dropped to knock me away. As I got up, I saw the tail sticking out of the armor; at least I had been on the right track. The grating surrounding us also gave me an idea. I pulled out the Clawshot as I backed up to the wall and the beast flung the ball at my retreat. I hopped to the side pulled myself behind him with a well-aimed shot, dropping down to slash at the tail. But the ball clipped my head as it was brought up to speed again and I saw stars for a minute. I got my feet back under me just in time to dodge another swing, this time executing a prefect back slice. I quickly got away before he could bean me again and repeated my Clawshot trick to avoid another chance at a concussion.

After another flurry of strikes had the strange assailant howling in pain before it exploded into black smoke, leaving the ball and chain behind. I had a hard time lifting it, but I reasoned that such a weapon would come in handy. The doors had unlocked, so I moved into the nest room, which had a large wall of ice in it, along with some of the sparse furnishings that dotted the mansion. A grin crossed my face as I realized that I would be satisfying the urge to smash stuff.

"Are you quite done?" Midna asked as she emerged from my shadow a few minutes later, surveying the wreckage of ice and splintered wood. I stood in the center of the room, holding the end of the chain as I panted, my grin having become like that of a maniac.

"What a rush," I replied after a few breaths. I chuckled and put away the weapon before I went crazy again. "Let's get that key." With that, I opened the chest… and my jaw hit the floor.

"What's wrong now?" She floated next to me and ground her teeth at the sight of the wheel of cheese inside. "Aw, food AGAIN?! Yeah, I had a bad feeling about this. She didn't seem very sure of herself... Oh well... Let's head back and hope she had some other brilliant idea."

I sighed and stowed the cheese away as I walked out, mumbling to myself. "Cannons, ice monsters, hidden food… What kind of house is this?"

Back at the fire with another explanation, the beast-wife's face frowned. "...What?! Cheese... Uh... Did husband move it? Uh... Where in world did we put it... Sorry, I need thinking time, uh. Take cheese to husband, uh? You do that, I try to remember..."

I winced at the thought, but went back to the kitchen anyway, this time pulling out the cheese to offer it before getting close. That was probably my mistake.

"WHAT?! GOOD SMELL! What you have, uh?!" I backpedaled furiously as his outcry, throwing the edible wheel at him before falling on my rump from tripping on a brick in the floor. Without a blink, he caught the food and took a long smell of it. "Mmm! Perfect ingredient, uh!" he praised before adding it to the concoction. "Little more time on fire, it become gourmet soup, uh! Here! Taste, uh!"

Being no fan of pumpkins, or of thinking that mixing them with fish and cheese was a good idea, I was hesitant to say the least. But I dipped my bottle and tried it for the sake of adventure. I blinked a few times after I had emptied the glass. It was surprisingly good and I felt terrific. I filled my bottle again before leaving with a "Thank you," over my shoulder. It was certainly a day of ups and downs.

Approaching his wife again, the look of remembrance passed over her features again. "I think I remember, uh! We put key in nearby room, so no forgetting, uh. How I forget? Embarrassing, uh. See! Here. Place marked by symbol, uh! It there. It must be, uh! You look for me!"

I sighed; at least it was near their bedroom. I didn't feel like being here much longer. The last door unlocked and I headed through it. As I traveled, I found my new ball and chain to be very handy in smashing the various ice monsters that I ran across. More ball swinging, improvised ice skating, and cannon firing went into my progression, and I finally found myself climbing a ladder up the courtyard wall to reach a door that led into a private chapel of sorts. I sighed as the doors sealed, "Here we go again." More icicle fighters fell to the floor around me and I brandished the ball and chain about me, moving into the fray.

Some time and a swig of soup later, I again stood among bits of ice and wood, though most of the pews had been spared my wrath. I was through the door as soon as it unlocked, desperate to know that I was in the right place this time. It was with a sigh of relief that I gripped the heart-shaped key in my hand.

"Phew... We've finally found the key. That sure took a while...but that mirror shard is as good as ours!" Midna popped up to say. I was tempted to make some smart remark in return, but lacked the imagination at the moment. Shaking my head, I went back outside and jumped at the sight of the lady of the mansion before me.

"Oh! You safe, uh!" she said in relief. Seeing my puzzled look, she explained. "I drink husband's soup, feel much better, uh. So I come to find you. You found key, uh! Good! Good! Bedroom right above us. I take you there, uh."

She walked slowly, so I stopped every few steps to wait for her. Though she had caused me trouble, I wouldn't want her to get attacked by one of the monsters about. At the top of the stone ramp, I jumped up to jam the key into the lock. "Thank you. You come inside..." she said as she joined me. Inside I had to crane my neck back to see the ceiling, it was so high up. The snow and wind outside pushed against the tall windows, but there was only the sound of our own steps in the room. There was a big bed on one side, and a simple dresser. "Please... This way, uh," she directed, leading me to what was unmistakably a quarter piece of the Mirror of Twilight. "Here...mirror. You look at it, uh... Uh... So pretty..."

I smiled as she seemed lost in it for a moment but then my brow furrowed as her gaze seemed locked onto the magic glass. "Pretty... Uh... So pretty..." As she kept muttering, her voice began to choke up and mixed with grunts. "Pretty... Pretty...mirror... Lovely..." I put my hand on her shoulder and she turned around. I sprang back in alarm as I looked at eyes that had become blood red sitting above a row of fangs. "NOT TAKE MIRROR!" she screamed.

The glass of the windows shattered and the snow and wind poured into the room, whipping up into frenzy as everything was coated in a layer of ice. Shaking it off as I hugged myself, the blizzard lifted the possessed female into the air, solidifying into a huge mass of ice. As it settled down and began to slide around, I found myself scrambling to get out of the way, my feet having little purchase on the slick floor. I jumped into the iron boots to get some extra stability before heaving the ball and chain at the oversized ice sculpture, taking its size down a notch. I grunted as my arms were now very sore from throwing the heavy metal about, but I kept swinging until the mass of frozen water crashed into the wall, revealing the possessed girl beneath. With a high trilling sound, she floated into the air again, this time forming an ornate cage about herself, and eight fat spikes.

"Round two," I muttered to myself, getting the boots off as the spikes approached. I pushed off against the wall to get going, watching the reflection in the floor to track where the spikes were. I pushed off against another wall, changing directions in time to avoid the spikes as the started to crash down behind me one by one. After the last one landed, I took a breath in relief, and then inhaled in surprise as they rose back into the air. They formed a circle above me, and with panicked glances up and down, I realized I was going to be trapped. I tried to move, but the spikes moved with me, plummeting to form a cage around me. I looked up again and saw the pavilion of the ice queen moving over in position to crush me. I managed to squeeze myself in between two spikes before she came down to shake the room.

As the cage and the spikes rose again, I found myself dangling from the edge of one of them, my fingertips barely gripping the surface. I quickly unsheathed my blade and drove it into the ice. Using it as a foothold, I climbed on top. I received a look of surprise from the mirror's puppet as I took the chance to hurl the ball at her again. Part of the cage broke away and the spikes disappeared, leaving me to fall to the floor next to my sword. I put it away, but had no time to stand as new spikes formed and came after me. I pushed off against the floor, sliding ungracefully on my rear as the frozen missiles fell about me. "_This must be what a pinball feels like,_" I thought as I turned to push my feet against the wall, careening in the other direction. My speed kept me from getting caught in the circle of spikes again and I pulled out the ball, leaving it on the floor as I bounced off the wall again, sliding back towards the spires as cage landed within them. With a feral yell, I braced my feet against a spike as my momentum was transferred to the chain, yanking the ball to arc through the air and crash down on the icy safe. The entire structure shattered, and the trilling filled the room with the shrapnel. Steam hazed everything out for a moment as the ice melted and evaporated away, but when it cleared, the beast-wife lay on the floor and the mirror shard appeared.

"Well, we have two mirror shards now..." The twili appeared once again, her hair reaching out to claim our hard-won prize. "Two more left, Link. Still... I feel bad about the way we treated that girl. To think the Mirror of Twilight has the power to change people like that... This world...ALL worlds...can be cruel... Let's hurry and collect the rest of those pieces, Link! We have to, before more innocent creatures have to endure the suffering this poor girl did... Well, let's go search for the two that remain."

I nodded as she moved to open a portal out, but found myself wondering about the heart container that was supposed to be around after a boss' death. A yell of despair cut had me practically jumping out of my skin as the man-beast charged into the room, knocking me over in the rush to reach his fallen wife. I groaned as I stood up, tired of being knocked around for the day. I heard the two talking, and while I was glad the lady was alright, I couldn't bring myself to care. But once again, surprise crossed my face as hearts started blooming out of the two, culminating in the heart container I had been thinking of. I quickly grabbed it and headed for Midna.

"I don't know about you, but I've had enough adventure and surprises for one day," I said, glancing once more behind me. "I don't need to be around when things are getting sickly sweet either. Let's go Midna." I heard her giggle as she started to take me away, and I couldn't help but chuckle at myself as well.


	17. Chapter 16: Rest and Relaxation?

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so.

**Chapter 16: Rest and Relaxation?**

I had fully been expecting the to materialize just outside of the mansion, with the chilly winds whipping around me, which is why I was surprised to find myself soaking wet as I plopped into the waters of Zora's Domain. After getting out on the shore and ducking behind one of the conspicuously placed partitions in the throne room, I called up Midna. "What was that about? Why are we here?" I asked.

"I was making the trip back shorter," she answered with a shrug.

"Well that's convenient." I smirked. "I planned on coming back here anyway. We're both stressed out from all that's happened, so I think we need a break."

"A break? At a time like this?" the imp asked incredulously. "But Zant could attack again at any time."

"And a fat lot of good we'll be if we can't focus with stressed minds," I countered. "Haven't you ever done stuff for fun to blow some steam?"

Her eye looked to one side in thought for a moment. "While your sayings are still strange, I understand the concept. So… what did you have in mind?"

"You'll see," I replied as I motioned for us to leave. She rejoined my shadow and I made my way down river, returning to shore where I a boat shop and the door to the fishing hole were. But as I approached the door, I heard the familiar thud of twilight barriers appearing around me. I drew my blade as I looked up, and of course, three black monsters dropped from an open portal. I blinked when a scream reached my ears, and I looked over to where a woman with an afro was trembling at the sight. I frowned, for her presence meant that Midna wouldn't transform me into a wolf. I would have to fight them on my own.

I waited until the first had lumbered up to me before smashing my shield into face, jumping in the form of the Helm Splitter to connect my blade to its head, and thus its head to the ground. The other two hesitated a moment, allowing me time to sheath my blade. Seeing me defenseless, they both rushed me. '_Big mistake,_' I thought as a cunning smile crossed my face. With a shout, I drew my blade in a deadly arc, slicing through both of my foes, spraying black ichor back at my face. My smile was replaced with a frown as the three dissolved into the re-opened portal. My enemies had never lost blood before, or even appear to have injuries even though I was inflicting damage. Things were getting more real by the minute.

As I wiped my blade and my face off, the girl with the afro had recovered. "Thanks," she said. "It's been rough out here in boonies ever since I showed up. You know, you're just the kind of guy I need to help me out too. Come inside." With that, she went inside the low building that sat across the river. My mouth twisted at her attitude, but what else was I going to do? I went inside and found myself on a platform over the rushing river.

"You see, I was going to open a river ride here, but after all that's happened, there's a bunch of rocks blocking the way, like that one," she explained, pointing to a huge rock blocking most of the water some twenty yards away. "I have some bombs in a bag right here, but I need someone with a good eye and arm to do the dirty work. You can keep the bag when you're done too."

I shrugged and attached one of the offered bombs on the end of an arrow before launching it at the boulder. Large chunks stirred up the water as large cracks appeared. Two more bomb-tipped arrows reduced the stone to nothing. I was feeling a bit better.

"Not bad," praised the woman next to me. "There are a few more rocks and junk downstream, so would you be a pal and clear that up for me? My employee will meet you down there."

I hung my head. I just didn't get any easier. I found myself taking a few steps into a small canoe, quickly sitting down to avoid losing my balance. Picking up the single oar inside, I pushed off the dock. As I passed out into the sunlight, I heard the woman's voice chase me. "You be careful now!"

"Well at least she's concerned for my safety," I consoled myself as I began to paddle. Having no experience with such boating, it was feat enough just to keep from falling out. I was barely able to fire bombs at the large bits of flotsam that I passed by. By the time I saw another rock blocking the way, I was drenched (courtesy of a waterfall), tired, and thoroughly frustrated.

"Oh hello. You must be the help that my boss sent," came a soft voice that made me jump. I blinked and looked to my left to see a female zora treading just a few feet away. I nodded mutely as I wrung my hat out.

"The strong silent type, eh? She always did like guys like that," she added dryly.

"Yeah, well, she's lucky that I'm too tired to give her some choice words," I grumbled in reply.

To my surprise, the zora laughed a little. "I can understand that. In any case, I would appreciate it if you got rid of this rock for not just her, but the zoras as well. Then follow me to the dock on the lake."

I nodded again before laying ruin to the next boulder in the path. But of more concern to me was the increasing speed in the flow of the river. I paddled hard to keep from crashing into the cliffs framing the water as I tried to keep the swimming zora in sight. She stayed just ahead of me, looking back every so often. As I passed under scaffolding that I had flow over a long time ago, I was multitasking: hurling bombs with my left hand while paddling with my right. I quickly learned this was a mistake as I knocked into a rock jutting from the water. When I regained my balance, I looked up to see the oar slipping downstream without me. With a groan, I held onto the sides of the canoe for dear life. The water started to churn around me as the way narrowed for a few minutes before widening out, revealing the lake spread out before me. It was a beautiful sight that left me breathless. That might have been why I didn't scream as the little boat tipped over a waterfall.

I was dimly aware of arms wrapping around my torso to pull me from the waters swirling around the falls. Feeling ground rise beneath my feet, I crawled onto the shore next to a dock, coughing to fill my lungs with air. When my eyes came into focus, it was the green of the zora's eyes that I saw. "Are you alright?" she was saying.

I managed to reply after another cough. "Yeah," I said hoarsely, "I'm fine. Thanks for the help."

Her face was one of concern. "Are you sure? Maybe I should stay for a while."

"I'll be alright," I said as I sat up, getting myself fully out of the water. I took a few breaths and smiled. "See? Just a little rest and I'll be good."

"If you say so. I can't believe that she would put someone else through that, and just for something that she found lying around…" Her grumbling trailed off as she started to swim upstream.

"What's your name?" I called out, barely able to raise my voice.

"Azura," she replied, pausing for a moment.

"Nice to meet you."

I swear I saw her smile before she left, towing the boat behind her.

"You shameless flirt!" I rolled my eyes as Midna griped, no longer surprised by her appearance. "No wonder those girls were in your vision."

"Oh come on, a guy can't know the name of his rescuer?" I countered.

"Not when it's a she. And I noticed that you don't mind zoras, either." Her voice was dripping with venom… and something else.

"They're cute, yeah." I paused a moment to smirk. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

The reaction was worth it. "WHAT?!" she screeched. "Jealous not to be receiving the compliments of a water-logged incompetent idiot? You're crazier than I thought."

"Then why is there a slight blush to your cheeks?" I asked genuinely, dropping the teasing when I noticed the tinge of red on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She turned her face away and I couldn't help but wonder why, though I had an idea, but didn't dare entertain it.

"You could cut me some slack," I said as I started pressing water out of my tunic. "I just went over a waterfall."

"That's the other thing that bothers me," Midna said as she turned back to face me. "Your swimming was good enough in the past. Why not now?"

My brow furrowed at that. "I don't know. The water was rough, but it wasn't pushing me down."

The imp touched a finger to her chin. "Maybe it's your arms."

"My arms?" I asked, not looking since I was rubbing my face dry.

"Yes. They seem to be thinner."

My heart stopped and my blood ran chill. It couldn't be. But it was. It was hard to tell just by looking, but by feeling my arms, I could tell that they were skinnier; with less muscle than before.

"Oh no," I whispered, more to myself than anything else. "I didn't think about that. It's harder for skinny people to float. I've had that problem my whole life. That's why I was having trouble." I looked up at Midna, her face clouded with concern as I continued my train of logic. "And if I'm becoming myself, then I'm losing the strength that Link has."

I stood, the fatigue of my trip gone with the rush of adrenaline. "We've got to hurry and find the mirror shards before I'm completely myself. Before I lose the strength to fight."

The shock and fear was replaced by grim determination of both of our faces and I felt the tug of teleportation without even asking. Now there was something else against us: time.


	18. Chapter 17: The Temple in the Woods

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so.

**Chapter 17: The Temple in the Woods  
**

As soon as I materialized outside of the town, I dashed forward, not stopping for the mailman that tried to hail me. I made through the streets, dodging the pedestrians as I made a beeline for the tavern. Panic was slowly creeping into my mind, and I fought to keep control. Barging into the bar, I made my way to the back where the table was.

"What's all the fuss honey?" I heard Telma call as I scanned the map. I looked up to see Ashei, Shad, and Auru were giving me looks of concern mixed with confusion. I had to say something.

"Just trying to get this war done with as fast as possible," I said, deciding that part of the truth would do. I didn't want to lie to them, and their looks lessened instead of disappearing. I left instead, not wanting to explain further. I bumped into the postman on the way out, who had apparently followed me. I took the letters in his outstretched hand and jogged away. I sighed as I shook my head; I didn't like treating people like this, but I couldn't let them know the truth. The longer I stuck around, the more they would notice how Link's body was changing.

"Come on Midna. Let's get this over with," I said to the air. She didn't even leave my shadow this time as she took us to the northern part of the Faron woods. Apparently she just wanted to end this as well. And yet… some part of me didn't want it to end so soon. That thought was dismissed from my mind as my feet fell upon the grass among the trees. I started towards the ledge that I had jumped from as a wolf some time ago and found Rusl standing there, looking out over the gorge.

"It has been a while since we took a walk in the forest, huh?" he asked as I stood next to him. I nodded in reply. "Yes, and how our world has changed..."

I smiled a little at that one. '_If only you knew..._'I thought.

"Say..." he went on, "Do you know about the far side of this deep gorge? Some say there is an ancient temple deep in the woods that guards a sacred power. The ancestors of the Hylians created the temple. Signs of their civilization; ancient, but very sophisticated, are everywhere. If someone could obtain the power of those ancient people... Well, I am sure it would go a long way toward saving Hyrule. Link... Would you take on this task? Would you cross the gorge and find the ancient power sleeping in the temple?"

I took a breath to calm myself before answering. "I must," I said with the grim determination that had set in.

"I knew you would!" He didn't seem to notice my gloomy attitude. "To cross the gorge, just use my partner here." With that, he whistled, and a cucco with gleaming yellow feathers came up. "Do you doubt my partner's skills? He flies like a dream! Believe me! Well, you will definitely make it across the gorge. Wait and see, my doubting friend."

I nodded, knowing that I couldn't change into wolf form while he was there. I picked up the bird and hung on for dear life as I jumped into open air. I was surprised that the bird could support my weight, but that didn't keep me from being extremely nervous about the lack of ground beneath me. A few more such hair-raising jumps had me back at the Lost Woods entrance. I set the bird down before heading inside, where once again, I found the little horn-blower, who promptly sent his freaky puppets at me before running off. I was in no mood for his shenanigans. Then a figurative light bulb went on. I pulled out the Spinner and hopped on, bouncing off the rattling foes to maintain speed and knock them away.

I'm glad I didn't know how long I chased after that kid's lantern, or I might have killed him. I finally found myself entering a ruined tower, but different from the one I had been in as a wolf. The troublemaker sat on a high ledge as he summoned his minions, but he was not out of reach of my bow. I was found it hard to keep the string back for too long, but thank goodness I didn't need to. Two more arrows sent the blue imp packing, giggling as his voice echoed off the stone. "Hee hee hee... That was fun! I'll tell you what: I'll let you into a secret place!"

"That thing has an odd idea of fun," I muttered as I stepped through the archway. I was pleasantly surprised, though, when I found myself on top of an old balcony, looking down at the symbol of the Triforce that I had howled at.

Midna arose out of my shadow to look around. "The sacred, ancient forest... So this was what they were talking about..."

After shoving a block down to make a step, I climbed down and started to look around. Nothing stuck out at me, except for the grove where the Master Sword had been enshrined. I chuckled as I moved up to the pedestal. "Figures it would come to this," I said as I drew the sacred blade.

"Why do you say that?" Midna asked, floating alongside.

"The Hero of Time did this to move back and forth through seven years," I explained as I pointed the sword downward in both hands.

"Wait!" I turned to look at Midna's hand gripping my arm. "What if you go through time too?"

I smiled to break the look of concern on her face. "Then I'll have company."

She smiled a little and let go of me. I grunted as I drove the metal back into its stone sheath. I blinked after a moment, having expected lights to surround me or something similar, but all I heard was something behind me that I couldn't identify. Withdrawing my blade, I turned around. "I guess this requires more investigation," I noted with a shrug.

"Too bad; I kind of wanted to travel through time," Midna mused, and we both laughed. Our moment was interrupted by the ever thud of a barrier forming around us, followed by the appearance of a portal and more shadow beasts. I was in wolf form before they even hit the ground.

"_Are you reading my mind more, or are we just working well together?_" I asked Midna mentally before attacking the first foe.

"That's for me to know, and you to guess at," giggled the girl.

Not a minute later, the beasts were gone and I made my way back up the block-step to find a door that led to seemingly nowhere. Glancing up, I saw the orange of Midna's hair as it waved at the door, opening it. I tilted my head as I looked through the frame. "_Okay, that's new,_" I commented at the sight of the forest in monochrome through the frame of the door. Cautiously, I padded forward, looking left and right as I passed through the shimmering portal. Once through, I blinked as I looked around. "_It can't be,_" I thought as the sight of a majestic temple met my canine eyes.

"We must have traveled back to the temple in its prime," said Midna, also awestruck at the beautiful architecture around us.

"_I don't remember it being this big though,_" I added, heading for the steps that led to the room of the Master Sword's pedestal. Midna floated up, staying outside for once as I changed back into my human form. I feel awestruck again as the colored lights of stained-glass windows surrounded us, towering high over our heads. It took a shake of my head to get my focus back on the task at hand. Once again I took the Master Sword in hand and struck it into the stone pedestal. When I did, steps of blue light descended from the window in front of us. "Cool," I mused as I sheathed my weapon again.

At that moment, a blur of yellow feathers zipped by, which I recognized as Ooccoo after the fact. The window she raced towards faded as she approached it, revealing a corridor beyond. She zipped into this corridor, the window reappearing behind her.

"What the heck is that thing doing here?" Minda asked, surprised as I was.

"I don't know, but we just found the way forward." I replied with a shrug.

"Let's get this over with," she groused.

Unfortunately, getting it over with was no simple task. I found myself climbing up a trap-filled tower, dueling with a heavily armored knight, fetching a statue twice my size, and bringing it all the way back down the way I came. And that was just to open the door to another corridor filled with blades, spikes, and laser shooting statues.

"What am I, an action hero?" I asked the air before navigating my way across the room. I sighed as entered another huge chamber, this one dark with the exception of shafts of sunlight beaming down through holes in the ceiling to illuminate four huge statues with upraised fists. The silence was broken by the deepest scurrying noise that I had ever heard. Looking up, I saw a giant spider with a big eye in its back crawling around on the ceiling.

"Ah, we meet again," I chuckle, drawing my bow. The spider kept its eye closed until it had stopped over one of the holes. I let the shaft loose into the red orb, and it crashed to the ground with a shriek of pain. Noticing the statues looked like the one I had controlled earlier, I pull out the Dominion Rod and sent its light into the stone, which shone with the glow of animation. I swung the rod down, bringing the fist of the statue into the belly of the beast. It shrieked again before righting itself and climbing up the wall. Once back on the ceiling, eggs started dropping down from the end of its abdomen, which quickly hatched into the little spiders that had bothered me a number of times in the temple already. I drew my blade to deal with them, when Midna came up out of my shadow.

"I'll deal with them," she said, her initiative taking me by surprise. "You just worry about the big guy!"

I nodded and smiled, glad for the help as I pulled out my bow again. Midna threw the hatchlings about with her magic as I found my mark, but too late. The eye glowed as though red hot, firing a beam to burn the stone floor, racing towards me.

"Watch out!" I called as I jumped out of the way. Fortunately, the spider seemed more interested in me than Midna, and I just had to keep running until the beam vanished. I took aim again, waiting for a minute before getting my chance, letting another arrow pierce the eye before running in close to smash a statue's fist down. The process repeated itself once more, crushing the beast's body with stone a third time. I gave a yell of triumph and stopped halfway. The eye of the beast was running around on its own, surrounded by a couple dozen of its hatchlings.

"You've got to be kidding me," Midna and I groaned in unison.

"Let's end this," growled my impish companion. "Shoot an arrow at it. I'll do the rest."

I raised an eyebrow before putting an arrow on the string, aiming it at the scurrying orb before letting it loose. The shaft sped at an incredible speed, punching a hole clean through the red eye before shattering against the stone wall beyond.

"Whoa." I marveled as the remnants of the spider exploded in black smoke, the little ones joining it as the mirror shard appeared before us.

"Three of the mirror shards are ours! Just one left!" Midna said as she floated up to claim the piece. "Link... You saw how nasty that monster was, right? The evil within the shards is more powerful than you can imagine... You know we could be assembling something truly terrible here... It could be something that we'll ultimately have to destroy... We have to hurry! Let's fine the last shard, Link! We have to reach the sky! That's where the last shard is supposed to be! I'll get you out of here. You're sure there's nothing else you need to do, right?"

"No, nothing else," I answer, used to her little speeches by now. "But thanks for the help. We make a pretty good team." I smiled.

She smiled back, feeling more enthusiasm for our search now. "Thanks. Now I see how you get a rush out of battle," she said, looking to the side a little sheepishly.

"Maybe you could help out more often?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as I stepped into the portal.

"And get my hands dirty with the blood of common beasts? You wish!" She giggled at her own sarcastic reply before taking us away.


	19. Chapter 18: Pursuit of the Past

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so.

**Chapter 18: Pursuit of the Past**

"Well done, adventurer! Ooccoo sees what she was looking for." I blinked as I was greeted by the odd bird, surprised that she had returned to the present before us. "Goodness, yes! It's the Dominion Rod you found in the temple! But that thing has been around for quite some time. I can see from here that its magic has been exhausted. Ooh, what am I to do... I thought at last I could return to the sky... And I have completely forgotten the spell that would once again bestow it with magic... It can't be helped. I suppose I'll just have to look for the statues that respond to the rod... It's decided! That's what we'll do! That's what we'll do, indeed! Well, Ooccoo is on her way! See you again!"

I shook my head as she took off. "That bird sure… Wait a minute. What did she say about the rod?" Pulling it out, I gasped, for the green color and light that had been about the rod before was gone, replaced with a rusted red color and no light at all.

"Hey! Wait! What did you do to the Dominion Rod?" Midna shouted after Ooccoo. "...She's gone. I suppose a useless rod is really just more baggage, but...what are you going to do? Hmm... Did she just say something about returning to the sky? The last piece of the mirror is also said to be in the heavens... If we can restore magic to the Dominion Rod, maybe it'll come in handy!"

I nodded as I put away the defunct rod. "I hope so. It's not going to be easy to find a way up to the sky." Silence fell for a moment as we both thought, before I remembered. "Hey, wasn't Shad studying beings that went up to the sky? He probably knows something."

Midna shrugged and smirked. "I figured we'd be going back to that tavern. It's the established pattern of things."

"Welcome to video games," I chuckled as the Twili vanished, taking us back to the castle town.

We didn't stay in town long, just long enough to receive a letter from Renado about a clue to Ilia's memory and to find out that Shad was in Kakariko as well. So we warped over to the dusty village and headed into the shaman's house.

"Ah! I have been waiting for you, Link." I nodded at the greeting and waved to the goron elder and patriarch, who were also present. A glance at Ilia showed that she was more lost and nervous than before. "Fortune has smiled upon us! If things go well, we should be able to help Ilia recover her memory! Do you know Telma's friend, Shad? Well, it seems he is researching the heavens, and he has come here to see the statue in the basement of the sanctuary. And, as I have learned, when Ilia was saved, she overheard someone talking about the rod of the heavens, or something like that... The Goron elder believes that to help her regain her lost memories, we must piece together the fragments of her past... Which means... If we work our way backwards from the very place where she lost her memory, we may find something that will restore it. Now we must retrace Ilia's path... I am certain it was Telma who cared for her before she arrived in this village, was it not? It would be best to speak with her first. Please take this to Telma! It shames me to say it, but to be honest; I cannot abide Telma's company... We have a fighting chance, Link!"

I nodded as I took the offered letter, feeling that the trip up to the skies would have to take a backseat until I could help Ilia with her memory. I gave her a reassuring smile before I left, feeling she needed the morale boost. A few minutes later, I was back in the bar, showing Telma the letter.

"Oooh! Well, if it isn't from Renado the shaman! All this writing, and he doesn't even bother to mention a thing about little ol' me? Honey, that is what I call RUDE! Well, there's no accounting for the foolishness of a man. And at least I understand Ilia's situation now. Of course I can lend a hand for that adorable little girl! Hmmm, what else do I know... The first one to bring Ilia to this shop was that doctor... Maybe he knows something, but he's a crusty old bat, that's for sure... Ah... I've got it! Honey, you go ahead and take this to him. This magic little paper will get that codger talking!"

I sighed as I took the bill from her. I hadn't minded running around for trading sequences in the past, but it was lot more monotonous when doing it for real. Still, I headed for the doctor's office neat the west gate.

"Eh? What's that?" came a wheezy voice as I stepped inside the clinic. The old codger peered at me through his large spectacles a moment before speaking again. "Just as I wondered who it might be, I see it's the admirable young lad who was willing to help the Zora boy for nary a single Rupee... Just what is it you want, lad? A physical? You've some money, don't you? By the way, that girl Ilia didn't mention anything about me, did she?"

I shook my head and smiled mischievously as I handed him the invoice, to which he staggered back in shock. "AIIIGH!" he screamed, "L-Look! I can't pay this off right now! I can see Telma's hired you as some sort of heavy to strong-arm me, but she'll have to wait! Look, lad, if I'd been able to sell the wooden statue that young lady had, I would've been able to get the money... But see, I accidentally spilled medicine all over that little carving, which made it stink awfully. I put it outside to dry...but then... Well, it was stolen. Who goes around stealing people's stuff like that? What a world! You always have to be on guard, eh? ...Uh, look, Mr. Heavy, at any rate, neither the money nor the carving is here, so I can't repay you. Now, to work, to work..."

"_Time to poke around,_" I thought as the practitioner moved into another room. Moving into the back, I caught a whiff of some nasty scent. A crate stood one corner, covering a splotch of green on the wall. Pushing it to one side, I found more of the mess, a broken bottle of medicine on the floor. This must have been the spill that the doctor had mentioned. "_Wolf time again, my friend,_" I thought to Midna with apprehension.

"Why does it always come down to you having to smell something rank?" she asked after landing on my furry back.

"_I wish I knew,_" I replied, wincing as I took in the smell to track it. I then noticed that scent trails no longer appeared as a line of mist to lead me on, meaning that I would have to rely on my nose alone to track the stolen statue. I climbed up the crate, onto some shelves and then on a balcony that led to a patio outside. The smell led me down the streets of the city, my second appearance no less scary to the inhabitants than the first. Ironically enough, the smell led me to the courtyard in front of the tavern and Telma's cat.

"You're looking for the wooden statue that Ilia had, aren't you, dear?" Louise asked as I padded up to her. "Think it's a coincidence that I happen to know it got stolen from the doctor's place? Yes, I admit it...I took it. But then I was attacked by some sort of skeletal dog beasts who took it from me. I don't know why these beasts were after her statue... I thought it likely that she was in a dangerous spot, though. Those fiends lurk just outside the southern gate... Unfortunately, they only come out at night. ...And another thing... They always move around as a pack. You won't get that statue back unless you give them all a thrashing... That statue sounds like a key to getting Ilia's memory back... You must get it back!"

I nodded again, musing on how I was doing that a lot lately as I turned and headed out of town, scaring a few more people in the process. It wasn't quite night yet, but the sun was in the process of setting. "_Think I'll rest a minute,_" I thought, as I stretched a bit.

"How can you rest at a time like this?" the redhead on my back quipped.

"_You haven't been running around dungeons and fighting monsters,_" I countered. It took me a minute to lie down as a wolf, but since I had watched the family dogs do so many times, I quickly figured it out.

"And you haven't been teleporting some fool all over creation," Midna answered with a tug on my ears.

"_Touché,_" I conceded as I put my head on my paws.

"Two shays?"

I snorted in amusement. "_Never mind. Does it really take that much out of you to warp me around?_"

I felt her back fall across mine as she lay on top of me. "The spell itself isn't difficult, but all spells do take a toll on the caster," she explained.

I tried to look back at her, still smiling mentally. "_I'm not running you ragged am I?_"

It was her turn to snort in amusement. "Of course not. It's the principle of the thing."

"_So what position do you hold to know such magic? Or is it common in the Twilight Realm?_"

I could feel her usual confidence balk as she hesitated. She was spared answering as the sun had almost disappeared, cuing the appearance of a number of skeletal dogs. Between the two of us it was only a matter of a minute or two before the bones were scattered, the little wooden statue among them. After retrieving it, it was back to Kakariko, where I handed the smelly wood to Ilia.

"What...is this?!" she said slowly as she turned it over in her hands. "I... I remember something... I was confined somewhere... Yes, and I was saved by whoever was confined with me... And when that person set me free, they gave me this statue... Yes, yes, I remember that much!" Her face had lit up at the memory, but quickly fell and she gripped her head in both hands. "But that means...that person is still in trouble! Oh, what is WRONG with me?! I can't remember where that place was!"

"I REMEMBER!" I jumped as the goron elder shouted. "I thought I had seen that before somewhere... That belonged to the tribe that protected the Hylian royal family long ago. They worked in secret, so they lived in a lonely, forgotten place. But I heard that tribe dwindled in the prolonged wars... If you want to find that hidden village, look for a path leading to the Lanayru province on the far side of the Bridge of Eldin. But...a rockslide blocked the way to the village long ago, so you can't get there anymore.

What? Oh, I do not mean to worry you, little human. Problems like these are not problems to Gorons." He motioned to the massive leader, who nodded and left the abode. "Our patriarch, Darbus, will be waiting for you up ahead. Look at your map to see where. I would try to find the path beyond the Bridge of Eldin that leads to Lanayru Province."

I gave Ilia another smile and quickly left, calling Epona with some grass nearby. She seemed a little wary of me, but a few pats on her head and little stroking on her neck reassured her. She probably knew that I was different than her owner, but she still liked me. As I rode to the place marked on my map, I mused at how this was becoming more my adventure than Link's.

I dismounted to enter a tunnel that led into the cliffs framing the path between regions a short while later. Darbus was at the end, pounding away at a wall of rock, which soon shattered under his blows. "There is a hidden village up ahead, little human," he said as he turned to me. "The elders call it a forgotten place. This scent that has been burning in my nostrils...it is the scent of evil. There is one powerful creature I have seen about...but under that beast are many minions who attack and plunder like a pack of hyenas. There are 30... No... At most, 20 of them ahead... They are probably just a small band of survivors... Ragged remnants who have settled, leaderless, into this village. If that is all there are, little human, then you alone are more than enough for them. But you will have to defeat them ALL to save that girl's benefactor. Before you go, I will tell you the secret to besting them: destroy them all before they spot you! Got it, little human?"

I nodded, understanding that he meant moblins and that I would have to snipe them. I smiled as I slipped on the Hawkeye mask. This was going to be fun.

About ten minutes later, I took off the mask and stowed away my bow. The twenty moblins lay dead behind me, scattered in various run down buildings that formed a street not unlike those seen in old western movies. They had never seen me coming. Near where I stood was a house, out of which an old woman poked her head.

"The howls of the beasts... They've faded into silence..." she said as she looked around cautiously. When she caught sight of me, her eyes lit up in excitement. "Wait, are you... The savior! It's you, the savior!" I blinked at that; I had never been called a savior before. She came out of the house, leaning on a cane. "Please, please forgive me...for not opening up the door. My name is Impaz. I'm the last resident of this poor village. My name comes from the great one who built this village so long ago... This village was once the secret home of a proud tribe who served the royal family... But it fell into decline, and became infested with dangerous beasts. It's become an awful place... Excuse me for asking, but is your name...Link?" I nodded, falling into the role of the silent hero again. "Ah! I knew it... So then, you saved that nice girl?" Another nod. "How lovely. When she was here, she would often cheer me up by saying that you would come to help. That sweet girl... She worried about this old woman even as I helped her to escape from here... By royal order, I can't leave this place until a certain person arrives. ...No matter what terrible fate is visited upon it... Oh, but listen to me blather on! I have a favor to ask: would you help me return this to her? I think she always kept it close to her heart, but even so, she didn't hesitate to part with it in order to protect me... I believe in my heart that it's kept me safe all this time... So please... I ask that you return it to that girl."

I took the little whistle shaped like the grass that I used to call Epona and put into one of the pockets that seem to hold everything. It was bit crowded, so I found myself pulling out the Dominion Rod to rearrange things. A gasp from Impaz drew my attention back to her. "Hey! That rod... Is that the Dominion Rod? Ahh... Could it really be? Are you the messenger to the heavens?! Among the legends of my clan, there is a story from the time when the Oocca still maintained contact with the royal family. Yes, it said that a mysterious rod was handed down from the people of the sky, and it was called the Dominion Rod... The rod was only to be carried by the messenger to the heavens when the royal family needed to communicate with the Oocca. From generation to generation, my ancestors have guarded the book that, by royal decree, was to be given to the messenger to the heavens. This is that book. Please, take it. This book is written in the ancient language of Sky Writing. I am so glad I stayed in this village... If I had not met that young girl, what would have become of me? Meeting that girl must have been ordained by the gods, so that I could be here today to pass on this knowledge... Yes, I was meant to pass on that ancient book from the heavens to you... Please, take care of yourself."

"Thanks," I said softly as I took the book, adding it to the pouch as well. Now I was step closer to getting to the sky as well as restoring Ilia's memory. Before I left the village, I returned to another howling stone that I had found during my hunt, letting the strains of a wolf's song soothe me. I felt a bit sad though, because it felt like the last time I would do so.

"I... I knew you once..." Ilia said, closing her eyes as she held the charm that I had returned to her. "Yes... This feels so familiar... The scent of hay... Long ago... When we were young, you and I... You were always there... You were always beside me... Link." I smiled; she had her memory back. Renado and the others left the room to give us a moment. I swallowed, hoping she wouldn't do anything romantically involving. "This gift was meant for you. It was something I wanted to give you before you left on your journey. Please, Link, take it." I took the whistle back from her, for once wishing Link was in my place. "You don't need to worry about me any longer. Whenever you return... I'll be waiting for you. Link... Do you remember what I was saying about the rod of the heavens? Well, actually... It was about the messenger to the heavens who held the rod... The nice woman who saved me told me about it... Apparently, in this woman's village, they've guarded something for the heavenly messenger for generations, so they await him. But they can't give this item away until the messenger arrives with the rod... That's why the lady couldn't leave her village, you see... Say, Link... Do you have any idea who this messenger to the heavens might be? Or even what the rod is?"

"Don't you worry about Impaz," I said as I turned toward the hole that led to the basement. "She's met the messenger." Ilia gave me a confused look and I sent her a wink as I jumped down.


	20. Chapter 19: Sky Writing and a Picnic

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so.

**Chapter 19: Sky Writing and a Picnic**

I had to stop playing for the day after that as it was getting late. I had to work the next day and I had to work on some projects for my college classes, so it was a few days until I could play again. My parents still seemed oblivious to anything unusual and my sister didn't give me any more weird looks, so it seemed they knew nothing of what was happening to me. All the better, in my opinion. I got back to the Wii as soon as I could, returning to the basement where the bespectacled scholar stood.

"What's this?" Shad gasped as he looked through the book. "Ah! It's Sky Writing! Where in blazes did you get this? You don't suppose this could be the word that breaks the seal... R-Right! Let's try it out!" He chanted in another language, one that I guessed to be dead for many years. But the statue he spoke towards remained the same. "No reaction. So it is not this statue... Urgh..." His frustration passed and gratitude came to his face. "Link, thanks ever so. You have brought me one step closer to solving this puzzle. I shall give the book back to you. Now! I shall try out this word on other statues! I have made the rounds of these statues so many times that I have memorized their locations. I will place marks on your map so you can find them, in case you wish to track them down. Remember, every one of those marks is near an owl statue! Now, if you'll excuse me!"

I smiled as he left. A scholar's work was never done. I then noticed a gentle pulsing from within my pack. Reaching inside, I pulled out the Dominion Rod, which had its old glow about it again.

"The writing in the book was a spell that imbued the staff with magic!" Midna deduced as she came up for a look. "Now you can do to the other statues what you did before... So... He did say he would mark your map wherever there was a statue, didn't he? Then we should go check out those spots, right, Link?"

Thus began a tour of various locations within Hyrule. We visited the edge of the forest, the middle of the desert, ruins near Castle Town, a ledge near Kakariko Gorge, a ledge by the great bridge over the lake, and the Bridge of Eldin. At each place was a statue that needed to be moved, underneath which were characters of a strange sort that went with what was in the book. The characters appeared magically in the text, completing the knowledge within. I smiled as I took the tome back to Renado's cellar, where Shad was contemplating the statue there again.

"Is that the book from last time?" I simply smiled as I handed it to him again. "Hm? Are there more letters in the word than the last time I looked at this? How did you investigate the... Link, this is amazing! Amazing! Now THIS must be the word we need! Let's try it immediately!" I couldn't help but admire his enthusiasm as he spoke in that old tongue again. A lighter piece of stone on the statue glowed before vanishing, but nothing else happened. "Ah! It has taken on the same shape as the other statues... What can this mean? And I thought we had solved the last of the riddles... Blast! How confounding! ...I must apologize, Link. I need to cool off a tad before I mull the problem further..."

He went off to think again, leaving me to use the rod to move the statue. I found myself descending a set of steps into a large underground dome, lit by a hole in the ceiling. In the center lay the metallic remains of some large contraption. "Link?! How in blazes did you move that statue?!" I jumped a little as Shad came into the room. "And... what's this..." His jaw dropped as he looked at the pile of junk. "Amazing! Spectacular! This must be the Sky Cannon I read about in my father's notes! I knew that my intuition was onto something when it led me here! ...But how can one use this to get to the City in the Sky? ...Ahh! Perhaps... I am in your way?" He bowed apologetically. "Well, forgive me for not realizing! I should just disappear at times like this, really. So... Let me know the results another time, Link. ...Ah yes! Let me give you one last piece of advice... That seems to be broken, so you'd do well to show it to a cannon expert first, I should say! Farewell!" With that, he was gone.

"I wonder if I put him off," Midna wondered aloud as she floated up to look at the defunct cannon. She then turned her gaze at me. "Well then, where to?"

"Lake Hylia, strong girl!" I called with a laugh.

She laughed in return. "What am I, a circus freak?" Her red hair twisted as she lifted the pieces of metal into the air, dissolving them into nothing. I quickly followed and found myself on the circular island of the lake, the cannon nearby. I turned towards the floating platform a short distance away, the planks creaking beneath my feet.

"Hey, buddy!" Fyer greeted me as I approached. He glanced at the cannon and then back at me. "So... Uh, is that yours?"

"You bet," I replied. "Nice, eh?"

"Heh heh..." he chuckled. "Hey, buddy, I never thought you'd get so hooked on fantastication that you'd try to build your own cannon! So...are you gonna give me the tour or what? Looks like you have a serious rig over there..." I led him over to the rig, which he looked over. "Whoa! It's kind of...retro, huh? And there's no ignition device, so you can't even use it. Listen, buddy, I suppose I might be able to fix it for you...

I mean, maybe... That is, if you can pay me 300 Rupees...in advance. Whaddaya say?"

I groaned at the outrageous price, but fortunately, I had enough, so I handed over the gems. "Heh heh... I knew you'd see the light, buddy. I'll send you a letter when it's done."

"_Wait a minute, I don't remember him saying that,_" I thought as he began to work. My hand hit my forehead as I realized the truth, and I groaned as I walked away.

"What? What's going on?" Midna asked when we were far enough away.

"The game doesn't make you wait here. It shows the cannon being constructed, but at a faster pace than is physically possible." I explained.

A look of confusion and concern was my reply. "What do you mean? It isn't going to take long is it?"

"I'm afraid it's going to take about four days."

"WHAT?" she screeched, her visible eye widening. "Four days? But you could lose your strength in that time!"

"There's nothing we can do about it, unless you know something about fixing old cannons," I countered.

She sighed and her shoulders slumped. It made my heart ache a bit to see her so sad. Tentatively, I reached out my hand and rested it on her shoulder. "It's okay. Maybe the game is making us slow down. We can relax a bit, explore, or whatever, until we get that letter. Or do the Twili not know how to have fun?" We seemed to poke fun at each other a lot lately, but it seemed mutual, and behind it, something unspoken was understood.

The little imp smiled a bit as she looked back at me. "Do you have anything in mind?"

Three days later found us sitting on the steps outside the south entrance of Castle Town, tired and bored.

"I've had enough adventure," Midna complained, reclining next to me. "We've found all the bugs that weird girl wanted, fished for hours on end, defeated every ghost we could find, gotten you a number of those Pieces of Heart-"

"Hey it was pretty fun snowboarding down the mountain again," I interjected.

Her wince brought a chuckle to my lips. "Speak for yourself. And we've completed every - what did you call them? – Side quest you could remember."

"Yeah. I think I agree with you," I said softly as we looked out over the field. My face lifted a bit as I got an idea. "You know, there's one thing that we haven't done since this adventure began…"

"Oh really? What haven't we done?" she asked with equal parts curiosity and sarcasm.

"Eat." My answer brought her up short and I explained further. "You notice how no one seems to take care of what their bodies need here? I guess it's still the game working, but I haven't seen anyone eat, drink, sleep, or places to do so. Not even a place to… uh… let go."

Her head tilted. "Let go?"

"Down there," I said, pointing around my hips.

She blushed a little at that, which was interesting with her skin colors. "Oh."

"Yeah, so…" I stopped as a growl sounded from my stomach. "Great. I just broke another game rule."

A smaller growl came from beside me, and I raised an eyebrow as Midna put a hand on her belly. "Oooooh, now you had to go and mention food. I'm starving."

"Well, we are rich." I hefted my wallet, which held a considerable number of rupees thanks to 'Princess' Agatha. "And I have an idea." I stood and stretched, turning towards the town gates.

"Alright, but it better be a good idea," she groused as she retreated to my shadow. I chuckled since she did have right to complain. I had had a number of ideas over the past few days, and not all of them had turned out well. In the bazaar, I picked out a number of food items and a cloth to store them in, as it was getting harder to pack and unpack the contents of my pouches. Outside, I called Epona and rode to Zora's Domain, swimming over to a ledge near the waterfall.

"We're here," I announced as I spread the cloth, laying out bread, fruit, cheese, and a small roasted pheasant.

"Finally," Midna grumped as she came up. She looked about, a bit confused at the sight. "What is this?"

"We call it a picnic where I'm from." I let out a sigh as I sat down, picking up an apple to take a bite.

"You eat outdoors?" she asked as she picked up a bunch of grapes, popping the first in her mouth.

"Most of the time, no," I explained after swallowing. "But it's nice to do so every once in a while."

We ate in silence for a little bit and I was surprised by how much I was enjoying the simple foods of this world. Midna seemed lost in thought again and spoke up after we had finished eating everything. "What is your world like?"

The question took me aback. She hadn't seemed that interested in me, or the reality that I knew for that matter. "Well… it's hard to describe," I said after a moment. "There's so much to tell about."

"You could show me," she said, and again I blinked. "Thoughts are as much sounds and images as they are words. So…"

I smiled softly in understanding, reaching out a hand to her. "If you really want to…"

When she looked at me again, there was something in her face that I hadn't seen before, something I couldn't quite identify. "Yes. I do." She put her hand in mine and closed her eyes.

I closed mine and thought of everything I could think of about home, trying to keep the speed slow enough so that Midna could keep up. I showed her cars, airplanes, houses, movies theaters, schools I attended, stores near my house, and then places further away, a forest, old camp sites, beaches, and the ocean. I thought I would have to explain everything, but her mind and mouth both remained silent as we took the mental tour. People, places, objects, sounds, all the knowledge usually taken for granted I gave to her. After what seemed to be years, but was probably only a matter of minutes, I opened my eyes and let go of her hand.

Her eye opened slowly, gazing at her hand in wonder. "Is that truly your world?" she asked softly. "It is so different… yet so similar to this one. It is wondrous…and terrifying…"

"I would say the same of Hyrule," I said as I looked at her, making sure she wasn't going into culture shock.

She looked at me after a moment, smiling softly. "Maybe I could see it for myself one day."

I smiled back. What she proposed seemed impossible, but after all that had happened, maybe there was a chance. "I could show you around," I offered.

This brought a new look to her face, but this one I could identify. "I would like that," she replied softly, even shyly. It couldn't be that…

"Excuse me!" We were snapped out of our moment, Midna diving into my shadow as I looked down to the water's edge. A female zora was walking up the slope, and while zoras tend to look alike to humans, I wondered if I had seen her before. "Oh, it's you. The fellow from the river."

"Azura?" I asked as I stood, recognizing her at last.

"Yes, it's me. The Postman was looking for you, and I had seen you up here, so I offered to bring you the letter he had." As she spoke, she pulled out a letter from some place I couldn't see.

I was surprised when I took it, for it was completely dry. "How..?"

"Zora secret," she answered with a playful smile and a giggle. "Nice to see you again." With that, she turned and walked back down to the water as I watched her go.

"I knew it!" I winced as the shadow banshee returned. "I knew you were ogling her!"

"Oh come on! She's cute and nice to look at." I argued.

"Not when she's flirting with you like that," she replied venomously.

"Can I help it if Link looks good?" I countered.

She looked me over before answering. "Actually, you don't look like him as much. Your hair is browner and your voice is different. Besides, it's hard to tell your physique under those clothes."

I patted myself in a few places and sighed. "Great. I'm probably about two-thirds myself, now. People are going to start noticing." I opened the letter and relaxed as I read it. "The canon is finally done. Let's go."

"Don't dodge the issue mister!" Midna growled as I brushed off the tablecloth. "You're shameless. You flirted with that girl too!"

"What? I didn't flirt with her," I said, a bit confused.

"Not the zora. Ilia," she said with folded arms.

"Her?" I let out a derisive laugh. "She was in trouble and I was trying to help her feel better. The 'best-friend-since-childhood' isn't my type."

"So what is your 'type'?" I had to keep from laughing as she wiggled her fingers like people did in my world when they quoted something. She must have picked it up from what I had shown her.

I smiled at her as I folded up the cloth and put it away. "Princesses who run away from their castle homes to fight evil."

She was quiet for a bit and I could swear there was a little blush on her face. We went to the lake without further ado, finding Fyer polishing the newly-repaired canon. "Here we go, buddy. All working as it should...I think. It may look like junk, but this thing's got some powerful innards! You're going to be knocking on the door to the heavens! Seriously, bud... It might be rough! So... I'm sorry for soaking you for the dough. I'll leave you alone, then. Heh heh... Well, you just have all the fun you want, OK, buddy?"

"Sure. And thanks," I replied as I walked around the contraption. Finding a place to latch onto, I pulled out the Clawshot and found myself pulled inside. "_This suddenly feels like a bad idea,_" I thought to myself in the darkness. I got jostled as the canon started to move and felt two smaller bodies join mine. Before I could say anything, there was a jerk, and the wind was whistling in my ears as I was hurled skyward. Canon was definitely not my favorite way to travel.


	21. Chapter 20: Buildings on Propellers

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so.

**Chapter 20: Buildings on Propellers**

I emerged from a cloud bank to splash into a small pool, evidently the lading area for travelers. Before I could look around, there were two more splashes beside me.

"Phew! Gracious, we made it back!" Ooccoo said as she came to the surface. "Finally! Welcome, adventurer! This is the city sky of the Oocca. Erm, since you came all this way... I guess I can give you a tour of the city..."

A deep whoosh made us look up to see a dragon circle overhead, drawing a yell of fright from the bird-creature. I smiled because I liked dragons and looked forward to fighting this one. Some squawking from one side got my attention as another Oocca ran up, chattering excitedly to Ooccoo.

"Ooh, goodness... Brave adventurer, you won't believe it! There's a dragon raging outside the city walls..." she relayed, at which I rolled my eyes, thinking about how that was obvious. "Ooh, I'm terribly worried about everyone... I'm going to check in that shop for survivors!" With that, she dashed across a walkway into a small building. I decided to follow suit, finding that I needed to strap on my Iron Boots to keep from being pushed around by the fierce winds that came up periodically. Once in the shop, I looked around to stock up on arrows and a potion before turning to Ooccoo, who was standing off to one side.

"Ooh... Erm, sorry for ealier, adventurer..." she apologized. "Ooh! But you're planning on walking around the city and taking it in, right?! I'm worried about the others and this is an emergency! I can't just stand around waiting! Please take me, too! I won't help you warp to the surface, but I WILL bring you back to this shop anytime!" I didn't even get a chance to say anything before she jumped into one of my pouches, wiggling inside. I always hated it when she did that, yet somehow she always slipped away without my noticing too.

I headed back out onto the windy catwalks of the city, glad that my trips in the open air were fairly short, mostly because hard winds tend to scare me, but I tried not to let Midna know that. There were other Oocca about, seemingly alright and nonplussed about the few monsters inhabiting their city and I made use of their presence to glide from one area to another. There were also gears that I turned with the Spinner to extend stone bridges, one of which the dragon destroyed. "_He apparently doesn't like visitors,_" I thought to myself. At the bottom of one of the buildings, I came across a flying lizard holding a shield and sword. I was feeling weaker from the last time I fought, so I thought quickly as the beast flitted about. Pulling out the Clawshot, I reeled him in with my left hand, stabbing the Master Sword with my right to run the beast through. The weight made me stagger back and I fell with the dying monster on top of me.

I shoved him off me, wrinkling my nose at the smell as I pulled my blade from the corpse. Looking down, I saw that the green tunic was covered in his blood. "Great," I muttered to myself as pulled out the cloth to clean my sword. "This stain is never going to come out. They don't cover this stuff in games." I was concerned about how the level of gore was beginning to increase. Monsters showed cuts and bruises and bled before they died. I had to be more careful to make sure I didn't share that fate.

My mood lightened a bit when I found my reward for that brief fight: a second Clawshot. I couldn't help but whoop with delight as I zipped around the half-ruined structures, feeling like a superhero. My path took me to the top of the central building, where I felled two more lumbering beasts before stopping a fan and descending to pull down another switch. This let me proceed across a number of wide fan blades that I could latch on to, leading me to the base of the tallest tower. Inside, I had to deal with two more flying lizards, dispatching them like the first. "_Not that smart, are they?_" I thought to myself as I pulled myself up the interior of the tower on more fan blades.

After using the Big Key, I found myself back outside on a wide ledge. I found a couple points to grapple to before climbing on top of the tower, which surprisingly had grass growing on it, along with four pillars that looked like I could scale them. A roar came on the winds and I looked around to see the dragon, with red scales and wearing black armor, flying in to strafe me. I rolled out of the way, putting on the boots again to keep from being blown around by the draft it created. I tried to fire an arrow at him, but the winds kept me from being accurate. It swooped in, hovering for a moment as it breathed fire at me. I took my boots off and jumped to one side, when I noticed a gold bit on its tail that seemed perfect to latch onto. My theory was confirmed as a moment later, a Clawshot found its mark. What I didn't expect was to be hauled off my feet towards the wyrm.

I hung on for dear life as he flew about the tower, chasing his own tail in an attempt to bite me. Its teeth clanged loudly, within inches of my feet. After failing a few times, it turned back towards the tower, flying low to try and drag me off. I managed to put the boots back on as we approached and I dug my heels into the grass, bringing the beast to an abrupt halt. It hit the ground from the loss of speed, and I ducked as pieces of armor flew off. The shock had dislodged the Clawshot, so it took off before I could get at it again. Fortunately, I soon had another chance, this time leaving my boots on as I was pulled in towards my target. He fell again, more armor coming loose to expose a pink gem on its back, pulsing with a faint glow. "_That must be its weak point,_" I thought to myself as it rose into the air again.

With a deafening roar, it shook off the rest of the armor, which was now useless, as rain began to pour from the nearby clouds. I didn't like the idea of fighting in the storm, but the water had stimulated from flying plants to emerge from the ground. I had used these as grapple points already and quickly pursued them and the dragon by grappling between two of the pillars. Once I had found myself hanging from one of the sturdy flora, I winced as the dragon inhaled to breathe fire at me again. I quickly made my way around the circle of airborne vegetation, keeping ahead of the inferno. Even when it ceased, I kept going until I was behind it. "_Here we go again. Just like the eel,_" I thought to myself as the chain reeled me to the gem. My leg muscles found it easy to grab on tight as I stabbed and hacked at the jewel, squinting as shards flew by my face. They didn't find it so easy to hold on as we rapidly descended back to the tower, especially the bone jarring landing. I rolled away with a few bruises and the start of a headache as the oversized lizard took to the air again. I hunched against the base of a column for a moment, needing to catch my breath.

Midna came up to look at me with concern. "You can't keep this up. You'll wear yourself out at this rate!"

"Well if you haven't noticed," I panted, in no mood for her harsh words, "I'm the only one able to fight these things."

Her brow furrowed and mine did too as I realized how serious she was. Her red eye bored into mine with a determination I hadn't seen in her before. She then turned and said softly, "Not anymore."

"No wait!" I yelled, but she was already moving into the center of the tower, using her magic to lift the discarded armor pieces. The dragon looked down as she hurled half of them toward it, knocking it about, but doing no serious damage. Irritated, he dove towards her, looking to rake the grass again. At the last moment, the fiery redhead floated up above the brute, raining the rest of the armor onto the crystalline weakness. It roared in pain before flying off again.

Unable to just watch, I began to ascend the grille-covered posts again. When I was halfway up, Midna came closer to call to me. "Get behind him while I distract!" She motioned to the dragon, which was coming back. I knew there was no stopping her, so I nodded and continued up. I took another minute to catch my breath once I had clambered on top of the stone, watching as my friend zipped about the plants to draw attention. Every tongue of flame sent her way was dodged, and I was sure I could hear her giggling.

"Hurry up and get him slowpoke!" she shouted.

I hefted a Clawshot, but the claw didn't open when I tried cocking it. "It's jammed!" I shouted back as I started hitting the malfunctioning equipment.

"Take your time. I can do this all day!" she replied, jeering and poking fun at the dragon. But she was overconfident, flying backwards until she smacked head-first into one of the plants. I gasped as she shook her head, apparently dizzy, and the fiend began to inhale.

Time slowed to a crawl. Midna was gasping, shielding her face as she realized her plight. The fire was building in the maw of the terrible beast, ready to roast the Twili. I was jumping off the pillar, the closed claw shooting out to pierce a leathery wing which must have knocked it open, since it caught onto the weakness beyond. A shriek of pain filled the air as I was violently yanked though the small hole, leaving a bloody mess in my wake. Time reached normal speed again as we tumbled through the air, spinning as the tower below rushed up at us. I was faintly aware of Midna's voice following after me as I got into position on the back of the beast, barely fighting the centrifugal force pulling me away.

We landed with another jolt, but I managed to stay on top of it this time, quickly pulling out the Master Sword. "Time to end this rodeo," growled as I plunged the blade into the gem. The dragon howled and writhed in pain, but its movements slowed down until with a final shudder, it laid still. I got off, sheathing my blade as the jewel exploded, releasing a much-needed Heart Container. The rest of dragon vanished, leaving the last of the mirror pieces.

Midna shouted with victory as she flew down to grip the piece in her hair, hiding it wherever the heck she stored such things. "Tyler, you did it! It's the fourth shard! Now we have them all!"

"You mean _we_ did it," I corrected as I got the heart, feeling new strength flow into my body. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Of course," she smiled in that self-assured way she had before looking a bit more bashful. "Thank you for saving me. That's twice that you have done so."

"Friends don't keep score," I said with a smile.

"But friends do it for each other anyway, right?" she replied with her own smile, the two of us amused as we quoted ourselves. She then turned pensive again as I went to pick up the heart. "Hey... Tyler. The words of the sages... Do you remember them? Only the true ruler of the Twili can destroy the Mirror of Twilight. Zant could only break the Mirror of Twilight into shards. He couldn't utterly shatter it. That's proof of his false kingship. Link, we have to hurry! To the Mirror Chamber! After all, a fake is a fake, and no matter how much you dress it up, the real thing always wins!"

"So true," I said as I turned to her as she opened the portal out. "But I'm glad you called me by my name."

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

"It's been bothering me for a while. You used to call me 'Link' during these important conversations. I guess it was the game making you, but I was never sure…" I looked away slightly as I let the sentence hang.

"No, you are right." The impish girl shook her head. "You're afraid I only see you as someone to fill the hero's role? That I don't see you for who you are?" I looked back at her as she crossed her arms, it being my turn to feel a bit bashful. "You give me too little credit. After all we've been through, how could I think of you as anyone else? You sell yourself short, Tyler. I've seen it in you. Perhaps before this adventure is over, you'll see what I do."

I couldn't help but smile and chuckle ruefully at her pep talk. "And what do you see?" I asked as I stepped into the portal.

"That's for me to know and you to guess at," she teased me with my own words as the familiar tingling took me away.


	22. Chapter 21: The Palace in the Shadows

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so. Get ready, for here is the beginning of the end.

**Chapter 21: The Palace in the Shadows**

"Hey, why did you only bring me back to the entrance?" I protested after materializing next to the pool that I had landed in.

"_I don't know where we are exactly,_" Midna replied in my mind. "_Without knowing where we are it would be easy to wind up lost._"

"Fair point," I admitted. Fortunately (or unfortunately, I wasn't sure which), I was standing next to a canon like the one that had sent me here. I sighed as I climbed inside, hoping it would be the last time I traveled this way.

A minute or two later, I was climbing onto the shore of the lake, having landed in the waters thereof. Without further ado, Midna was already teleporting us to the Mirror Chamber in the desert. I shared her anxiousness to finish this business, for the battle with the dragon had shown how weak I was quickly becoming. I was no wimp at home, but my fast martial arts wouldn't aid me in this realm of swords and sorcery. As I stepped onto the platform, the three mirror pieces floated to join the first in its frame, coming together in a flawless whole. The chains binding the large rock dissolved into light as the mirror shone, the pattern thereon extending to imprint itself on the slab, sinking back to form a funnel.

"Some call our realm a world of shadows, but that makes it sound unpleasant," Midna said as we watched. "The twilight there holds a serene beauty... You have seen it yourself as the sun sets on this world. Bathed in that light, all people were pure and gentle. But things changed once that power invaded the world."

"It was all our doing." We turned around to face the five sages, who now stood behind us. "We overestimated our abilities as sages, thinking that while we watched, no evil would pass into this world. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive our carelessness, O Twilight Princess."

They bowed solemnly before her, but Midna looked sheepish and shy. "What? So...you knew? As a ruler who fled her people, I am hardly qualified to forgive you," she said as she looked away. In our world we've long believed that the Hero would appear as a divine beast. That's why when I found you I thought I could use you, Tyler. And I only cared about returning our world to normal. I didn't care what happened to the world of light, not at all." She then looked at me with a cross of confusion and wonder. "But after witnessing the selfless lengths that Princess Zelda and you have gone to... Your sacrifices... I now know, in the bottom of my heart, that I must save this world, too. There is no other way. If we can just defeat Zant, the curse on me will dissolve, and we may be able to revive Zelda. Let's go, Link! For Zelda! For all of this world!" She clenched her right fist in determination and I did the same with smile. She had come to care for Hyrule, much as I was, and our hearts would probably do more for the upcoming trials than the selfish goals we had started with.

I stepped up towards the giant portal, not even nervous as I stepped onto the thin air that formed the extension of light off the dais. As I stood on the symbol of the Triforce, I felt that sensation of transport again, this time coming into a realm permanently engulfed in the same twilight that had covered Hyrule. It took me a minute to get used to it, since I hadn't really been in the twilight since the crossing began. Before me was a rock ledge seemingly supported by nothing, along with two smaller buildings and a path that led to a larger one. The stone structures reminded me of pyramids and other ancient structures back home.

"_Um, listen, Link. Can I ask you one last selfish favor?_" Midna asked me mentally as I stepped forward.

"_Sure,_" I replied in the same manner.

"_Regardless of what my reasons may have been, I once abandoned this world. I left behind the Twili. Those who had followed me... Who considered me their ruler. Even now, as they remain here suffering, they believe that help will come for this world. But if they were to see that the only help for them was a hideous little imp... Don't you think they'd feel let down? It's only for a little bit longer... Do you mind if I continue to hide as your shadow while you're in human form? I'm sorry._"

I let her feel my understanding, not sure what words to say. I drew my sword as I saw some strange beings with heads like those of the beasts I fought. "_Wait!_" Midna cried, stopping me short. "_This guy isn't an enemy, Link. They might look different, but they're inhabitants of this world. They're my people. Zant... How could he..._" I noticed the difference in stature and stance of the being, and sheathed my blade. I also felt sorry for Midna. She really was a princess to feel such pain for her people.

I began by navigating through the building on my right, fending off dark creatures, as well as large duplicates of Zant's head. "Pretty narcissistic, isn't he?" I mused out loud as I unlocked a door.

"_I suppose usurpers are,_" Midna replied. "_They wouldn't aspire to such high positions if they didn't think so much of themselves._"

As I entered the third room, I stopped as I head familiar thuds around me. Barriers had appeared to keep me from going forward or back. An image of Zant appeared, summoning a portal from which came a crowd of bats. I quickly slashed my way through them before looking about for the image. Much to my frustration, it kept warping around the room. It finally stopped to summon another portal, but I was already there, slashing at him without mercy. I kept following him, dispatching other small fry that he called forth. After a while, the fake exploded into a dense black fog, specked with orange. I walked up to the stone hand at the end of the room, which held a glowing sphere.

"That's a Sol," the princess came up to explain. "They are the sources of power and light in our realm. If you bring it to my people, then…" I nodded in understanding, wrenching the orb out of its stone bonds. "Why weren't you surprised when I said I was a princess?"

That made me pause as I hefted the fairly heavy Sol, but only from the question, for I knew the answer. "Well, it wasn't too hard to piece together. When I said that I like fighting princesses, when I asked how you learned your magic, and it also explains why Zelda said that the shadow creatures were looking for you."

"You really are smart," she said with a small chuckle.

I smiled back as I started walking back, the fog flying away from the light of the Sol. "I like to think so." I set the ball down a moment into a circle in the floor, which caused a set of stairs to rise, leading back to the door. But this also triggered the appearance of small shadow monsters. To make matters worse, the hand that had been holding the Sol shone red and rose into the air, heading toward us. "Well, that complicates things," I said dryly.

"I'll handle the enemies. You handle moving the Sol," Midna commanded as she started to fling the small foes about.

"I thought you didn't dirty your hands with common monsters," I called over my shoulder as I raced up the steps, pulling out a Clawshot.

"It's not like I'm actually touching them," she answered with a sly grin as she floated up after me.

I grabbed the Sol with the chain and ran like crazy back through the rooms, the eerie hand ever at our heels. A few minutes later, we were both panting back out in the open air, where the hand apparently couldn't go.

"You know what the worst part about this is?" I said as rubbed my arms.

"What's that?"

"We probably have to do this again."

We both groaned before laughing for a moment, for indeed, there was another building with another Sol inside, with more monsters, a hand, and that black fog that forced me into my wolf form. Still, we managed to bring it back outside, placing it in a shallow depression next to the first. This lit up a bigger circle between them, which I stepped into. The two balls of light vanished, giving the Master Sword an unearthly glow.

"_Amazing... The power of the Sols has been transferred to your sword..._" Midna observed from my shadow. I could feel her old excitement growing again. "_The guardian deities of my world are on our side, too! You really are the chosen one, Tyler... A true hero! As long as you have that sword, you should be able to repel the shadows Zant has spread!_"

"_I'm no hero,_" I thought back as I walked up towards the main palace, dispatching some shadow birds with a single blow. "_I just do what needs to be done because no one else will do it._"

"_And that's exactly what makes you a hero,_" she replied.

I didn't really want to admit it, but maybe she was right. Perhaps that was what she meant by what she saw in me. In any case, I had other things to worry about; lifting more dark fog, activating more magical technology, finding the keys to open doors. Slaying monsters was no longer a problem. The light in my blade was enough to dispatch any of the twilight denizens with a single slash. Finally, I ran up the steps to approach the throne on which Zant sat, Midna coming up to be next to me.

"Zant!" she yelled to him. "Isn't this ironic? Here we are all thanks to the dark magic curse you placed on Link!" she said with her mischievous grin.

"You speak of magic?" he replied in contempt. "Still your tongue for a moment, whelp, and I will tell you of both magic and the oppression of ages... The people of our tribe...a tribe that mastered the arts of magic...were locked away in this world like insects in a cage." His helmet opened, revealing a face that looked like it was painted like a mime. "In the shadows we regressed, so much so that we soon knew neither anger nor hatred...nor even the faintest bloom of desire. And all of it was the fault of a useless do-nothing royal family that had resigned itself to this miserable half-existence! I had served and endured in that depraved household for far too long, my impudent princess." He leapt forward at us, and I raised my blade in front of Midna to guard her. It wasn't needed, as Zant circled us before standing on the other side. "And why, you ask? Because I believed I would be the next to rule our people! THAT is why! But would they acknowledge me as their king? No! And as such, I was denied the magic powers befitting our ruler." He leaned the whole top half of his body back, as if looking at the sky. "It was then, in the thrall of hatred and despair, that I turned my eyes to the heavens...and found a god."

I snorted derisively. "You mean a madman. Ganondorf is obsessed with power and so are you. You're both insane!"

Zant stood upright again, the helmet back in place. "My god had only one wish. To merge shadow and light...and make darkness!"

With that, he used a complicated red symbol and the boss room of the Forest Temple materialized around us. I didn't know if we had actually moved or if it was just an illusion, but I didn't care. The location gave me the hint needed to fight Zant. I pulled out the Gale Boomerang to bring him closer, dodging his magical shots as I moved in to slice him. He then took us to the floating magnetic rock in the mines, jumping on different place to make me lose my balance, but I already had the Iron Boots on to keep stable. When he ran out of breath, I slipped out of the heavy footwear to lay into him again. Next, it was the bottom of the Lake Temple. Midna used her magic to change me into the Zora armor. She had been distracting him the whole fight, using rocks, pots, even lava to keep him from focusing totally on me. Pulling out the Clawshot, I reeled the swimming magician to me for more punishment from my blade. We then returned to the Forest Temple, this time in the room where the baboon had been. Midna knocked the pillars about to bring Zant to the ground, where I would be waiting with sword in hand. Ice surrounded us as we appeared in the frozen bedroom of the Snowpeak mansion. Midna and I jumped out of the way as Zant grew to a huge size. I pulled out the ball and chain to hit his foot, but the force sent me sliding the other way over the ice.

"Not again," I groaned as I came to wall, pushing off to zoom back the other way, somehow staying upright.

"It's easy this time, Tyler!" I looked up to see Midna keeping Zant, who was now smaller than he had been to begin with, pinned to the wall in front of me. I grinned as I used my momentum to stab my blade through him, and he shrieked in pain.

"What does it take to kill this guy?" I asked as we found ourselves outside Hyrule Castle Town, just to the south. Zant raged, making nonsensical noises as he drew two curved blades. I raised my shield to block as he spun about in a dervish, my arm soon starting to ache from the repeated blows. After a moment, his speed slowed as stopped for breath, and I got in a few good hacks before he warped away. "Get back to my shadow," I called to Midna, "I'll handle the sword fighting."

"Forget it, Tyler!" the stubborn Twili called back as she dodged Zant, who was spinning again. "We're doing this together!" Her hair moved and a look of concentration showed on her face and Zant stopped mid-turn, falling on his face. I rushed in, but he rolled over in time to block my blade with both of his. He rolled away and shot his magic at Midna as he backpedaled from me. I rolled around to slice at his back, and he vanished again. He kept moving and warping around, leaving me unable to get in a hit. I grunted as I felt a blow from behind, falling onto my face. Looking, over my shoulder, Zant stood over me, one blade at my back.

"No!" I heard Midna cry, and I glanced at her to see her concentrating again. Zant's eyes darted around, as if unable to move anything else. Realizing that was the case, I rolled over, swinging my sword to cut across his midriff.

We were suddenly back in the throne room, the would-be king shrieking in pain as Midna recovered the Fused Shadows that he had stolen. "Y-You...TRAITORS!"

Midna laughed. "Traitors, ha! You want to know why none would call you king? It was your eyes, Zant. All saw it...a lust for power burning in your pupils... Did you think we'd forget our ancestors lost their king to such greed?"

"Midna... Foolish Twilight Princess..." said the insane Twili softly. "The curse on you cannot be broken... It was placed on you by the magic of my god! The power you held as leader of the Twili will never return! Already he has descended and been reborn in this world... As long as my master, Ganon, survives, he will resurrect me without cease!"

As he spoke, I could feel the anger in both of us rising, frustrated that he still mocked us. I clenched my fists and grit my teeth, hating Ganon and Zant. But my haze was broken as I saw Midna's hair grow, lancing out to spear him in the chest before ripping him into twilight particles.

Midna's hand clasped her face as she panted, her hair retreating back to it's former state. "I... I used just a fraction of the power that's in me now... I did THAT using only a fraction of my ancestor's magic?!" She floated for a moment, trembling in fear. Slowly I reached out to touch her shoulder and she jerked as she looked at me.

"It's okay," I said softly. "You're still you."

She nodded slowly, composing her self with determination again. "Tyler! Now is the time! We must save Zelda! The evil power Zant was wielding..." she looked down at her hands, "I couldn't take it from him. But at least I still have the magic of my ancestors. With it, I can return the cherished power Zelda bestowed upon me. Now! Let's go! Princess Zelda is waiting!"

Her look held the deepest resolve I had ever seen, and I knew any offers to rest for a bit would be turned down. I grabbed the Heart Container that composed all that was left of Zant and ran into the portal.

Unfortunately, I got yanked out by my younger sister, who had her hand on my shoulder. She said something about me being noisy and her needing to go to sleep early, but I wasn't really hearing her. My mind was still on my mission. It wasn't a game anymore. It had stopped being so some time ago. I had to get back as soon as I could. I had unfinished business to take care of.


	23. Chapter 22: Assault on Hyrule Castle

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so. Get ready, for here is the beginning of the end!

**Chapter 22: Assault on Hyrule Castle**

I returned the next evening, with the guarantee that I would have enough time to finish this war once and for all. I found myself being warped to the courtyard where the Twili stood, now slimmer and looking more like people than monsters.

"_So Ganondorf was just using Zant to help him return to the world of light,_" Midna mused from my shadow as I walked back towards the portal back to Hyrule.

"_That's typical for him,_" I explained, "_He usually uses others as puppets._"

"_I guess now we know the true nature of that barrier over Hyrule Castle. He's in Hyrule Castle, I'm sure of it. Princess Zelda is in grave danger! We must return to the world of light and hurry to the castle!_"

I nodded as I stepped to the circle of the portal. "_You don't need to tell me twice,_" I replied as the tingling took us back to the desert. Once there, the Twilight Princess wasted no time in warping us to the Castle Town. I ran past the postman and into the streets, running through the gate onto the walled bridge that led to the castle. Midna zipped out of my shadow to stand before the door that led to the bridge over the moat. I stopped and watched as the Fused Shadows came out to float around her. Before I could utter a warning, they merged, forming an over-sized helmet that covered Midna from the elbows up. "Midna!" I shouted in alarm as she was thrown against the wall. I winced as I heard her cries of surprise and pain as she was thrown to the other wall and back again, before disappearing over the bridge altogether.

I stepped back as a large creature climbed up. It had seven limbs and glowed with the golden colors of the twilight. Seeing the Fused Shadows that made up its head, I realized that it had to be Midna. The transformed imp leaped high into the air, landing on the slope of the diamond shield. It was hard for me to see, but I thought I could see a spear materialize in one arm before it was stabbed into the barrier. Light blinded me as the obstacle fell apart and vanished. Opening my eyes, I saw Midna, back to her normal self, falling through the air. I rushed forward to catch her before she hit the stonework, stumbling as her weight hit my outstretched arms. She stirred a little, slowly opening her eyes. "Welcome back," I said with a smile. She smiled back weakly before turning to look at the castle, upon which a light rain was falling, giving everything a gray look.

"You should rest," I advised as Midna floated up under her own power again.

"No," she said with a shake of her head, the familiar look of determination set on her face. "You've been alone long enough. I'm not leaving your side until we finish this."

"I don't want you wearing yourself out before we reach Ganon," I countered, concern coming from my face. "And I don't want you hurt because of me."

"Too bad," she crossed her arms in that huffy way I had become familiar with.

I knew I couldn't win, so I dropped the argument as I moved on. There had been something different in her tone this time, though. I didn't have time to think on it as the white wolf was before me once more. I closed my eyes as he leaped at me, once again taken to the surreal Hyrule.

"Your training is almost complete," said the shade as he appeared before me. "There is only one secret left. It is only for one who is truly a hero of courage. Do you wish to learn it?" I nodded, trying to put aside the doubts I had about being the hero of courage since I was clearly replacing him. "The last technique is the Great Spin. Let it be hewn into your mind!" My muscles strained to duplicate the skill that he showed me, putting more power into the spin. I had to pause once or twice to keep from getting too dizzy. "Enough," he said when I finally struck him down. "It is done. All of my skills are now yours. I may pass on to the afterlife, safe in the knowledge that you have the power to smite the evil in this land."

"Uh, before you go," I interrupted. This would be my last chance to have answered a question that had been bothering me for some time. "Who are you? Are you the Hero of Time?" I was surprised to hear a chuckle escape from the old warrior.

"Nay. I am not he. In life I was one of his great-grandchildren, and a knight of Hyrule." His gaze seemed out of focus, as if he was seeing the things he was describing. "Those were days of peace, but knights kept their skills sharp with minor monsters and tournaments. I had surpassed them all, and whispers began to follow me that I was almost as great as the Hero of Time himself." He then hung his head and I could sense his great shame. "That was my downfall. I was tired of being in the shadow of the great hero and set out to become greater than he. I delved into the ancient scrolls and found that at one time, the Hero of Time somehow channeled the powers of a great deity, but only briefly. I thought that if I could summon such power at will, I would be the greatest warrior of all time. I studied the arts of magic for years until I found that a simple verse of doggerel, combined with the pure passion of courage might summon the power. What you see before you is the result of my attempt. I was not worthy, for I was too blinded by my ambition." He finally looked at me again and it seemed as if a great burden had been lifted from him. "But now I have paid my penance, and I will move on."

"I actually know the power that you're talking about," I said, drawing a look of interest from my ghostly tutor. "It was a mask, found in an alternate world called Termina. I don't know what happened to the mask, but I'm pretty sure it's power is locked away."

The shade thought for a moment before giving me a look that gave me the impression that he had an idea. "Perhaps it is, waiting for one worthy to unlock it. You have faced trials and dangers that you would never have imagined in your own world, and yet you fight to save this one. You have even faced your own doubts and fears and conquered them." I blinked for minute, because I didn't feel that that was true. "I can see it in your eyes. You underestimate yourself, and perhaps that is a blessing of humility."

It was my turn to chuckle. "I wish. I don't think highly of myself because there isn't much to think highly of."

"Do not be so sure," he replied. "Heed my final words well. Believe in your abilities and in the abilities in those around you. Know that they believe in you as well. Do not fear, and when the time comes, you may find a power within you to do the impossible. Farewell and good luck."

"Wait!" I protested, but the whiteness had enveloped me and I was soon looking at Hyrule Castle once again, Midna floating at my side. "How long was I gone?" I asked her.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Gone? What are talking about?"

"Never mind, I'll tell you later," I replied as I walked up to the castle gates. Pushing one open wasn't easy since it was easily fifteen to twenty feet high and quite thick, but with slow creaking I opened it enough to slip inside. The courtyard was quite grand, with well trimmed hedges, flower beds, some trees, and a very tall statue that had the Triforce at the top. Apparently there wasn't much damage from the invasion, although it was hard to ignore the monstrous birds flying around. I headed for the front door, Midna hefting crates that had been left lying around and chucking them at any birds that came too close. "Dang. Locked," I cursed at the sight of chains on the door. I headed to my left and I had almost reached a door in one of the walls projecting from the central castle when an orange barrier surrounded us. We couldn't get out, but apparently monsters could get in as Moblins entered the ring to confront us. The Master Sword and Midna's hair slashed about, stabbing and cutting until bodies littered the ground around us and the barrier vanished.

"I think I'm getting used to this gruesome work and I'm not sure that's a good thing," I mused as I went to push the door open.

"That makes two of us," added Midna. "I suppose that's war for you."

I chuckled as I entered the next courtyard. "Yeah. I'll be scarred for life and my family won't know why."

Midna smiled a little before focusing on the next enemies. Wooden barriers and towers had been erected between the high walls of this area. The imp sent the arrows of snipers back to their owners with deadly accuracy, while I handled the foot soldiers below. A few boars were nearby, so we 'enlisted' their help in destroying the makeshift structures. At the other end of the destruction were a few towers with propellers. A few spins with my breezy boomerang opened up a door to access a chest with a map. We backtracked back to the first courtyard and ended up fighting more monsters before the other door. And in the open grass on the other side, we repeated the process.

"This is getting old," I sighed as I sheathed my blade after cleaning the blood off.

"Tell me about it," Midna said as she fussed with her ponytail. "This is going to take a while to get out of my hair."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Well what do you know? Miss Sarcastic has a girly side after all."

"A princess has to keep up her appearances," she snapped back. Her serious look faltered before she burst into laughter and my own laughs joined hers anew.

"We must be near insanity if we're laughing this much," I panted as I tried to get my breath back.

"To talk about something so normal in a tense situation might do that," Midna replied, wiping a tear from her eye.

We then walked along a path that took us past some hedges before coming to another open area, this one with a low, square rise of stone. Midna hung back as I stepped onto the rock. "Something doesn't feel right Tyler."

No sooner than she had said that, another orange barrier appeared, separating us and trapping me on the platform. The overweight chief of moblins dropped down with a thud, joining me in the ring. "I have come to play!" he said in a gravely voice that sounded surprising intelligent. He began to swing around his huge ax and I found myself hard pressed to get in an attack of my own between his. I rolled, wincing at the feel of stone, before jumping up to slice his back. The game was becoming more real by the moment and my moves were harder to execute.

"You've beat this guy before, you can beat him again!" Midna called, doing what she could to help. I glanced at her, and while I could see the encouragement on her face, I could also see concern. What was going on in her head?

I ducked to avoid being decapitated, my hat getting knocked off in the process. As he recovered from his swing, I rushed forward to slice at him, cutting deeply into his arm. He let out a howl of pain as I pushed off his body to jump back, looking for my next strike. I stopped when I saw the look he gave me. "Enough," he said as he gave me that look of conceding defeat. "I follow the strongest side! ...That is all I have ever known." The barrier around us vanished and the chief put his ax over his shoulder before limping away, holding his injured arm.

"Tyler... He... He spoke," Midna said as we watched him go.

"I guess he wasn't as bad as we thought," I said as I turned to head towards the other end of the yard.

"What do you mean 'Not as bad'?" Midna said as she came up beside me. "He's given us no end of trouble."

"Yes, but that's only because he was taking orders from someone stronger," I explained. "All he has known is following whoever is strongest, he doesn't know anything else. He has his own kind of order, and I respect that."

Midna lost herself in thought for a minute. "I think I understand… We shouldn't hold him accountable for what he doesn't know, right?"

"Yup," I replied as I opened a chest to get a key. "Now let's see about getting inside."

We returned to the entrance and unlocked the front door. The entrance hall was very large and dark, but still held a feeling of grandeur about it. We hadn't gone far before another orange ring appeared around us. "Not again," I groaned as armored lizards that I had fought a number of before entered the temporary arena. Midna's hair whipped about, sending weapons and armor flying as I sliced and cut my way among them. I stood panting for a minute once the last had been defeated, the lights coming on to illuminate the room and confirm the grand feeling.

"Are you okay?" Midna asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fine," I replied. "But we have to hurry. I'm almost in my own body now." I reached up to feel my torso and hair to confirm this fact. It was true: my body was almost as skinny as I was at home and my hair was shorter and thicker. "Come on," I prompted as I pulled out the Clawshots. "My strength might be gone soon."

"You know how to fight without weapons, don't you?" Midna asked as I aimed at a target.

"Yes, but people don't wear armor in my world," I countered. "And monsters are a bit tougher than people too." I pulled the trigger and zipped over to hang under a chandelier. I began to lower myself and look for my next target as Midna caught up.

"Can you mix the two?" she asked. "Can you use your… mar-tal arts with a sword and shield?"

"'Martial' arts," I corrected her out of reflex. I then paused a moment, for she had a point. "Maybe I can. I don't know how well I can mix them, but maybe…" I trailed off as I lined up my next shot. "Did you hear about martial arts in the vision I showed you?"

"Yes. I think it would be a valuable skill." Midna had barely gotten her reply out before I pulled myself to the next chandelier, dropping to the balcony below.

"I would show you some if we had time," I said as I put away the Clawshots. I then glanced around the room before opening the door before me. "I hope Ganondorf made the castle this way, because it's not very functional."

"It must be, because if you didn't notice, neither was mine." Midna giggled at her own joke and I joined her for a moment.

The battle with the armored knight and the few lizards in the next two rooms were made easier by Midna pulled bits or armor off of them while I tried to use my speed more than my strength to inflict damage. I gripped my sword underhanded and would slash as I zipped under guards and past sides. I was different and would take some work, but I was managing a bit better than before.

We emerged onto the ramparts atop the castle walls, the rain still drizzling down. I headed out along one wall and was stopped by a flying lizard like I had fought back at the flying city. I also disposed of him the same way: pulling it in with Clawshot to impale the body with my blade. I retrieved the key from the chest beyond and headed over to the other wall. A sniper in the tower at the end took aim as two more lizards came at me. I had barely drawn my sword when an explosion knocked the lizards away. I watched in amazement as a hawk attacked the sniper, sending him tumbling from his spot. I followed hawk's flight into the main courtyard below and laughed in gladness at the sight. The hawk landed on Rusl's arm as Auru lifted the smoking barrel of a portable cannon in his arms. Ashei and Shad stood near as well.

"We came to help!" called up Ashei. "You're not fighting alone!"

I was about to reply when the main gates opened wider and Telma marched through. "That's right honey! You helped us, now we'll help you!" My jaw dropped as the soldiers that had always been cowards in the past began to march into the courtyard and I could see townspeople behind them, armed with all manner of tools for weapons, and even some Gorons. "It wasn't easy, but reinforcements are here!"

I was overwhelmed. So many had shown up to help with something I thought I had to do alone. But now the whole town was here to help. To add to my surprise, the moblin chief appeared in the courtyard door opposite of the wall I stood on, a number of his underlings behind him. "We follow the man in green!" he shouted. I blinked before remembering our last battle. "We fight for the strongest side! The man in green is strong, so we follow him."

My nerves caught my breath in my throat as all heads in the courtyard turned to me. "Say something!" Midna whispered fiercely from behind me.

"What? I'm no leader," I hissed back.

"You are now," she replied. "They're looking to you for support. You're the reason they're here. Give them a reason to fight with you."

I swallowed as I leaned on the wall to look at the gathering below. I felt worse because they probably didn't recognize me anymore except for the clothes I wore. It was hard to get my brain working, but my heart took over. "Thank you. Thank you all for coming. I am glad that you are supporting me. But it is not me that I would have you support, because I don't do this for myself. It is our Princess Zelda, who is now trapped in her own home. It is for Hyrule, which has been under siege. It is for yourselves you should fight. For your protection and for your family's protection. For your freedom and for the freedom of all people of Hyrule! You have all become great today because you chose to stand and fight for your home! Let us show these invaders that Hyrule is not afraid of the dark anymore!" Like a rolling boulder, my voice had gained strength and volume as I spoke. I had never had to rally troops before, but what I said must have worked, for the ragtag army cheered. I looked back at Midna to see the biggest grin on her face and her proud look back in her eyes. I wasn't sure, but I thought I also saw a bit of admiration.

The moment was broken as the familiar growl of lizards silenced the cheer of the crowd. The armored foes began to file out of the front door, filled the windows, and also began to head towards me along the battlements. The crowd was looking at me again and so was Midna.

As long as I live, there will never be another moment like that one. The rain wetting my tunic and running down my face. The sound of the enemy drawing nearer. The soft clinks of the army below. I pointed my blade at the first of my enemies, my jaw stretching my face as a war cry escaped my throat. "CHARGE!" The yell of the army mixed with that the foe as the gap between them closed. My legs and feet moved as if in slow motion, but with all the power I knew they possessed. No matter what happened, I would always have this moment: the moment that I was a leader.


	24. Chapter 23: The Final Battle

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so. Time for the climatic clash!

**Chapter 23: The Final Battle**

The sounds of battle grew softer as the door closed behind us. I had only been a few minutes, but it had been the most intense minutes of my life. We had shoved, dodged, ducked, slashed, and stabbed our way through the mess of lizard foes to enter the next floor of the castle. Seeing spirit balls floating about, I shifted into wolf form to find dead soldiers pointing a path through the room. I didn't question it as I followed their silent advice, and receive confirmation when my paw brushed along a tile not on the indicated path. It fell away, falling into the floors below. The staircases leading higher as the other end of the room were in shambles, but with some wolf leap, grappling, and Spinner track riding, I made my way up the main tower of the castle. A few lizards were on the landings between flights, but Midna and I made short work of them. I could tell that we were both tiring, but the adrenaline and drive within us kept us running. At the top was another of the heavily armored foes that I had first seen back in the Temple of Time. Midna proceeded to strip him of his armor as I hacked at the lighter armor underneath. With him gone, I used the big key to unlock the final door.

Stepping through led us outside again, the orange and brown clouds seeming ominous as thunder sounded around us. I take a few breaths as I step forward to the rail, looking down. Apparently, we had climbed quite a height, since I couldn't see the courtyard below. "I hope the battle is going well." I voiced my concern out loud as I turned around to look up at the final room of the tower, with two sets of stairs leading up to it around the door I had come through.

"With the fire that you put into them, I'm sure they're doing fine," Midna said as she craned her neck back to try and see where the spires ended. She then looked at me seriously. "You'd make a good general."

I would have argued the point, but as it was not the time or place, I just shook my head and chuckled softly. "We've come a long way, haven't we?" I mused as I started up the stairs, Midna floating beside me.

"Yes, we have." She then paused. When I looked at her, she seemed to be thinking about whether or not she should say something. "I'm glad you came Tyler," she said at last, unable to return my gaze.

I smiled. "I'm glad I came too." I nodded my head in towards the hall ahead. "Now let's go finish this."

She nodded and we ascended the final steps up to into the throne room. Pillars held the ceiling some hundred feet above us, leaving the room fairly open to the weather outside. At the end was a large statue with the three goddesses surrounding the Triforce, but the all three heads lay on the floor below. The two of us gasped as we saw Zelda held by seemingly nothing in the middle of the Triforce. A deep chuckle caught my attention, drawing my gaze to the large man sitting on the throne below.

"Welcome to my castle," he said. I scowled. The red hair, the dark skin, the dark presence… I knew this man. And I felt a hatred for him that had begun when I had fought him in a game for the first time long ago, which intensified to a new level.

"So you're Ganondorf," Midna said, moving forward a bit. "I've been dying to meet you." She had a wicked grin on her face, and I couldn't blame her.

"Your people have long amused me, Midna," he replied with another chuckle. "To defy the gods with such petty magic, only to be cast aside... How very pathetic. Pathetic as they were, though, they served me well. Their anguish was my nourishment. Their hatred bled across the void and awakened me. I drew deep in it and grew strong again. Your people had some skill, to be sure...but they lacked true power." He held up his hand, showing the Triforce that glowed on it. "The kind of absolute power that those chosen by the gods wield. He who wields such power would make a suitable king for this world, don't you think?"

"Ha! Such conceit!" Midna said with disgust. "But if you are one of the chosen wielders of power, as you claim... I will risk everything to deny you!"

"Shadow has been moved by light, it seems..." the tyrant noted, chuckling again as he got to his feet. "How amusing. Very well... Deny me, then! Yes, try to deny me... You and your little friend..."

With that, Ganon began to dissolve into twilight bits. Midna floated up and put her arms out, getting between Zelda and Ganon. I called out as the bits flew up, flying past and through Midna and into Zelda. She looked confused for a moment before turning to and reaching out at Zelda, as if to attack or grab her. A shout of protest died on my lips as Midna stopped short. We both gasped when Zelda's eyes snapped open, white and soulless. Midna was suddenly thrown back and out of the hall, where a familiar orange barrier appeared to keep her out. I turned back to see the princess of Hyrule floating towards me, her skin pale and marked with strange lines here and there.

"Both of you, faithless fools who would dare to take up arms against the king of light and shadow." Ganon's voice came from her mouth as a sword floated off the floor and into her hand. "So you choose. And so you shall feel my wrath!"

The possessed princess swooped towards me and I jumped aside to avoid being run through. I turned to keep track of her, gritting my teeth in hesitation. How could I attack Ganon without hurting Zelda? I dodged another charge, stalling for time as I tried to think. The answer came when a ball of crackling light formed on the tip of Zelda's upraised sword. "_That old game,_" I thought to myself as I gripped the hilt like a tennis player. I swung as the attack came near, yelling, "Service!" as the Master Sword sent the attack back where it came from. The blank eyes widened before the magic connected, Ganon's groan of pain filling the room. I was still wary of hurting Zelda, but I had no other options.

The dance of dodging and magical volleys continued, wind whistling through the pillars of the throne room, occasionally obscuring it with dust. The volleys gained speed, my muscles ached from the repetition of swings, but Ganon seemed weaker as well. I let go a sigh of relief as Zelda's body lowered to the floor as the tyrant yelled in pain. Hearing a roar behind me, I turned to see the giant shadow beast looming up. I ducked out of instinct as arms shot past me. A cry of pain and protest filled the air, and I turned to see Zelda pushed back into her throne by Midna's golden limbs. A nervous moment passed before she was released. I took only a step towards her when a growling reached my ears. I turned around to see the twilight bits of Ganon gathering together, growing larger, until a giant boar with a red mane stood before me. Feeling a small hand on my shoulder, I turn my head to see Midna back to her impish self. We both nod, understanding that we'll fight this one together.

We dived away as he charged at us, feeling the room shake with his strides. The demon beast plowed into some of the pillars before dissolving into nothing. Getting up, I could see red portals appearing and vanishing; Ganon could come out of any of them. I put an arrow on the string as I looked around. "There!" Midna called, pointing a portal that was blue. Sure enough, the oversized pig came thundering out of the magic opening. I aimed at the glowing jewel on his head and loosed the shaft, but too late to dodge. I felt a yank, like someone had hooked a crane to my shirt, and I flew backwards, out of the way of Ganon as he rolled on his side, exposing a scar of light on his belly. I nodded my thanks to Midna before rushing up to slash at the wound. After a few strokes, the fiend lurched back up on all four legs, forcing me to lie underneath to avoid getting flattened. I rolled to get away from his hooves as he ran on, bent on destruction. I looked up to see Midna playing decoy again and I used the chance to get my bow ready again. She led him over to me, but when I let go of the string, my target jumped high in the air, and we had to run to avoid being landed on, but the shockwave knocked us over.

I shook my head to clear it as we got us up again. "Time to change strategies," Midna said, adjusting her helmet. "Perhaps we should counter an evil beast with a sacred beast." She smiled at me and I nodded. I started running as soon as I felt her land on my back, watching the boar as we circled each other. "Line up with him and I'll do like you always did. Trust me." I mentally shrugged as the boar vanished again and began to look around for the blue portal. Upon finding it, I stepped forward to meet the raging beast, growling in defiance as he bore down on us. I glanced up to see Midna's red hair extend, grabbing at his head like I had with goats and Gorons. My claws ground against the stone floor as we brought him to a halt, Midna yelling as she threw him onto his side. I leapt at his belly, hanging on as I sank my fangs into the glowing scar repeatedly. I only let go when I heard a roar of pain and he began to shrink down, dissolving in bits of twilight and sickly yellow flames.

As soon as I was human again I rushed up to Zelda, sighing in relief when I saw that she was alright and back to her former self. Midna came up next to me, and we both gasped as sparks of golden light left her body and entered into Zelda, who slowly opened her eyes.

"Pr-Princess... I... I..." Midna stammered. I could tell she was a bit taken aback at the sudden return of the one who had sacrificed herself for a shadow.

Princess Zelda gently shook her head. "Say nothing, Midna... Your heart and mine were as one, however briefly..." Her face saddened as they gazed at each other. "Such suffering you have endured..."

A dull roar reached my ears and I jerked around, jumping to my feet. Zelda and Midna got up as well as a large fiery ball with Ganon's face leered at us. I grunted as I reached for my weapons, but paused as Midna moved forward, the fused shadows coming out to orbit her small body again. My eyes widened as I realized what she was going to do. "Midna, no! Wai-" I couldn't finish my sentence because the familiar tingle of teleporting was taking me away. Away from the battle. Away from the castle. Away from Midna.

When I felt whole again, I noticed that Zelda and I were in the field west of the castle. I turned to look at the capital of Hyrule in time to see it explode, the once impressive structure crumbling to the ground. "Please. Please let her be alive," I begged softly. In the haze of the smoke, I could see a figure on the hill above us, and I gasped in hope, which died when I saw that it was Ganon, sitting atop a horse blacker than the blood of any shadow monster. I felt my heart sink into the depths of my body as I saw Midna's helmet in his hand, which he crumbled with no effort at all. He began to charge at us, accompanied by spirit horsemen that he summoned, but I didn't care. I stared at the ground, hot tears streaming down my face as my fists clenched and trembling at my sides. It took me a moment before I heard Zelda saying something from next to me.

"Spirits of the light! Wielders of the great power that shines far and wide upon the lands of our world... In my hour of need, grant me the light to banish evil!" I looked up in time to see all of Hyrule vanish from around us. Darkness surrounded us except for the brilliant shining water on which we stood and the four spirits of light which materialized around us. I blinked my wet eyes as the lights surrounded Zelda, who continued to pray. When I could look again, she held an ornate bow with a number matching arrows, all gleaming like pearls, but far whiter and brighter. "Tyler... Chosen hero! Lend us the last of your power!"

I blinked again as I realized what she said. "You knew… You knew the whole time…"

She nodded slowly, saying nothing as she put out one hand. I put my hand in hers and found myself back in the field, Epona at my side. "I'll try to slow Ganondorf with my light arrows!" Zelda explained as she climbed on. "You target him and keep him within range of my arrows!" I nodded and got on in front of her, digging my heels in to give chase to the evil king.

I steered Epona around the obstacles of the field, trying to cut corners to close the distance. As we neared Ganon, I felt Zelda moving behind me and growing warmth by my side. A flash of light flew by me to stick in Ganon's side, slowing him down. I pulled alongside, drawing my blade to slash at him. He knocked my blade aside after a moment and reached down to yank the arrow out, spurting dark blood as he pulled away. I huffed and kept after him, the burning desire of vengeance growing inside me. I dodged more of the ghostly cavalry as we pursued him, Zelda firing when were in range. Two whizzed by harmlessly before the next one connected, and spurred Epona to catch up. A war cry sounded out of my throat as I swung, knocking over Ganon and his horse, which exploded into bits of black magic. I jumped down and rushed towards him, but stopped when I heard that cursed sound again, a barrier enclosing the two of us into a private battlefield.

"An impressive-looking blade..." the usurper said as he stood. "But nothing more." He drew his own sword, and by brow furrowed in surprise to see that it was similar to Zelda's arrows. "Would you hear my desire? To take this foul blade...and use it to blot out the light forever!"

I readied myself, but he didn't take a stance. Instead, he raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you would answer a question before I kill you?" he asked.

I paused at that; this was definitely not in the script. Anything could go now. "If you don't mind me asking how you got that scar or that blade," I countered, letting my curiosity take over for a second.

Ganon chuckled as his free hand strayed down the jagged line on his chest. "This… is a souvenir… from when I battled the Hero of Time." He looked up at the sword in my hand. "From that very sword." His thoughtful look vanished as a smirk appeared. "As for this blade, the Twili found it in their realm and used it against their worst criminals. Easy to obtain once Zant was my puppet. It seems quite ironic to end light with light." He chuckled, but I kept my scowl. "My question to you is this. You are no hero. I can sense the darkness in your heart. You could join me and rule as my second-in-command. Why fight for light, when darkness is so obviously more powerful? Join me and together we'll be unstoppable."

I took a breath to form an answer, and paused when I felt my hate melt away with my confusion. I felt that good inside me that the shade had spoken of. The anger had turned into a righteous fury, which slowly boiled as I spoke. "Because darkness is not more powerful. It is only faster. Because the light is worth fighting for. Because light is life and life is always worth fighting for," I said with more confidence than I had ever had in m life. Ganon's frown became a look of confusion as I turned the Master Sword over in my hand, stabbing it into the earth at my feet. I slid my shield onto my back before raising the back of my left hand to the sky, and words I had never heard before came to my mind and slipped past my lips, my voice growing stronger in resolve and volume.

"O goddesses, heed thy Chosen One

of Courage, that evil may be undone.

From the past, the Hero of Time,

bring forth his power sublime,

that ear may hear and eye can see

the wrath of the Fierce Deity!"

The Triforce which had always been on my right hand before now shone brightly from my left. Ganon shielded his eyes as a golden light traveled down my arm, and then across my body. I took the hilt of the sword in my left hand, sending the light along its length, turning the blade into a double helix. The light vanished as it touched the ground and I knew without looking that I had been transformed into the Fierce Deity that the Hero of Time had once been, the others looking on in shock and awe.

I charged at the evil man, who only barely got his sword up in time to block mine. Sparks flew as we clashed again and again before jumping back for a moment. Feeling magic flow through me, I sent it along my sword, sending bolts at Ganon, who took one in the belly before dodging the others. He yelled as he charged at me and I jumped at him, our blades locking as we began to struggle against each other. I could feel his breath coming in short pants; could see the reflection of my painted face in the pupils of his red eyes. I took my own breath, feeling an easy strength flow through me as I pushed him back until his blade fell away. With a flick of my wrist I knocked it away, coming back to slash at him, knocking the tyrant to skid on his back in the dirt. I leapt forward, his eyes widening as I landed on him, my twisted blade running through his body into the soil below.

He gasped in pain, stiffening for a moment before looking at my face. "Do not think this ends here..." he growled. "The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!"

I looked back at him, eyes cold as ice as I spoke softly. "For Hyrule, for the children… For Midna… Die." He shrieked in pain as I sent the magic through him, stopping after a minute to let his body go limp. It was done. It was finally over.


	25. Chapter 24: Saying GoodBye

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so. Time to part ways.

**Chapter 24: Saying Good-Bye**

I stood slowly, withdrawing my blade from the corpse of the king of evil. The blood didn't even stick to the blade, sliding off the twin helix. I close my eyes as I pass the blade to my right hand, feeling the magic dissipate. By the time it was back in its sheath, I was back to normal, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"So this is your true form Tyler?" I turned to look at Zelda, my brow furrowed in confusion. Then I looked down at myself. My jaw dropped as I ran my hands over my torso, arms, and legs. I was completely in my own body now, and in my own clothes to boot. Black jeans, white shirt, my glasses, and the biking gloves I liked to wear when playing this game.

I chuckled as I looked up at Zelda and nodded. "Yes," I said in my own voice. "This is who I truly am."

Zelda smiled, which lit up her whole face in the setting sun. "I, and all of Hyrule, am in your debt. Thanks to you and Midna, we are free from Ganon's evil reign."

My chin met my chest as I heard Midna's name. "No war is without its sacrifices," I said softly, more to myself than anything else. Tears pricked at my eyes again as I felt the sadness welling up inside me.

"True. But miracles happen on the battlefield too, as you have proven." Something in the princess' voice made me look up and she pointed up the hill behind me. I turned and squinted as I saw the four spirits of light hovering above the crest. As they faded away, I gasped as I saw a form on the ground. It couldn't be… My feet were already moving and I broke into a run, desperate to confirm what my heart was hoping. I stopped once I reached the top; the figure didn't look right. But then the person stood and I recognized that the cloak and sarong had Twili patterns on them. As she turned towards me, I blinked at the sight of a beautiful woman with delicate, yet strong features, slightly taller than me, skin literally black and blue, and wearing an ornate headdress. But it was the orange-red hair and the playful eyes of the same color that told me who I was looking at.

"What? Say something!" Midna said with a smile and a tilt of her head. "Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"

I let out a couple short bursts of laughter, relief bordering on hysteria. I don't know how I got there, but the next thing I knew, my arms were around her and my face was buried in her shoulder. "I thought I lost you," I said softly. "My dear friend… my dear friend…"

Slowly, I felt her arms come around me to return the embrace. "I'm still here Tyler. You didn't think that I would die so easily did you?"

I chuckled as I leaned back to look at her face. Her hand, a bit bigger than it used to be, came up to wipe away the tears, as purposeful as ever, but now with gentleness. Hearing a giggle from the side, we turned to see Zelda looking at us. We both let go of each other quickly, and I was sure that she was blushing as much as I was. I tried to change the subject as I scratched the back of my head, "So, uh… What next? Do we have a celebration or something?"

I was surprised by how quickly Midna sobered. "No. Perhaps later… but there's one more thing left to do." My eyebrows came together as she closed her eyes and I felt myself being teleported away. A few blinks revealed that the three of us were in the mirror's chamber, cast in orange and black from the natural twilight. The former imp turned to face us, my heart sinking again as I realized what was coming. "Well...I guess this is farewell, huh?" she said with a sad smile. "Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know. But... Never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

Zelda nodded. "Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin... One cannot exist without the other. I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world... They left it because it was their design that we should meet." She nodded again, as if convincing herself. "Yes... That is what I believe."

Midna's smile lost some sadness at the speech of her fellow princess. "Zelda... Your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you... Then maybe you'll do all right. Thank you..." Her look had more confidence now and I smiled a bit myself. "Well, the princess spoke truly: as long as that mirror's around, we could meet again..."

I nodded. "I don't know how it would work, but I could probably come back and visit. The game's rules don't apply anymore."

Her eyes wouldn't meet mine when I looked at her and my smile vanished. "Maybe… and maybe not…" A single glistening tear slid down her cheek, which floated above her hand before she pushed it outward. "Tyler... I..." Her pause betrayed the great conflict within her. "See you later..."

Zelda and I gasped as we heard a loud cracking, jerking around to see the Twilight Mirror marred by lines branching out across its surface. I turned back to see Midna stepping out onto the platform of light. She turned back to look at us once more, a mix of sadness and gladness in her eyes before she dissolved into a trail of light, disappearing into the portal. The portal then shut and I had to shield my face as the mirror shattered, sending small bits of glass and dust through the chamber.

"_Why?_" was my first thought as the reality of what had happened set in. "_To protect both worlds,_" answered my ever logical mind. I sank to my knees as I tried to keep control of myself. Once again I had lost a friend, but not just any friend this time. We had been through laughs, doubt, and danger together. I had cared for her more than anyone else in my life. Now she was gone forever. My head bowed in silent acceptance; it seemed to be my fate to lose friends.

"She was doing what she thought was best," Zelda explained and I felt her hand on my shoulder.

"I know," I replied numbly.

"We all belong in our own worlds," she added. "You should be returning to yours."

I nodded as I stood up. "When did you first know about me?" I asked as I turned to face her.

She seemed to think a moment before responding. "The first time we met, something felt odd… different… But I didn't understand everything until I was one with Midna."

I nodded again; it was the conclusion I had drawn as well. "Do you know what the worst part of all this is?" My smile turned rueful while Zelda just looked at me with concern. "Even if I somehow come back, it will probably be at the beginning of this adventure. No one will know me; no one will know what happened, because for them nothing has happened yet." I had to take a breath so I could continue. "This is probably the best thing that will ever happen to me and I can't come back."

Zelda nodded in understanding and lifted my chin up as I was letting it drop. She gave me an intense look, one that identified her as royalty. "You are forgetting one of the virtues of Courage. Courage is not just doing what is necessary, or going forward in the face of adversity. It is also hope. The courage to hope for a brighter future when all else is darkness."

I brushed her hand off with a scoff and turned away. "Hope. All it does is set you up for a bigger disappointment."

"You stop that right now," Zelda reprimanded. "Such talk is not befitting a knight of Hyrule."

"What?" I asked in surprise, looking at her over my shoulder.

Her gaze was resolute, boring right through me. "Give me your sword Tyler, and kneel before me."

Out of surprise and curiosity, I did as she asked. I drew the Master Sword and held out the hilt. She took it and I kneeled before her, the flat of the blade coming to rest on my right shoulder. "As the bearer of Wisdom, I know that there are many uncertain things in life. You have been hurt by these things before, and yet you continue on. You have even overcome uncertainties about yourself in the course of this war. You have remained steadfast in your course, no matter what obstacles arose. And you did this because you believed that you could make Hyrule better, am I right?"

"Yes your majesty," I said with a nod, a bit in awe from the presence she emanated.

"That is courage. That is hope. And had you not had that hope, you would not have been able to call on the power of the Hero of Time. And for such courage, by the power vested in me, I dub thee Sir Tyler, knight of Hyrule." I blinked in surprise as she touched both shoulders with my sword. I had imagined such a moment before, but I never thought that I would actually live it. "Rise, Sir Tyler, take your sword, and return home."

I took a breath before rising, taking back my sword and sheathing it. I had collected my wits by then and bowed. "Thank you, your majesty. But I'm afraid I don't know how to get home."

I was surprised again when I heard her laugh a little, accompanied by a smile. "The formalities are over; you can call me by my name." She then thought for a moment. "Perhaps you can return by seeing your home in your mind's eye? Midna's magic works similarly to that."

I nodded and closed my eyes, feeling the sadness return. "May it be the will of the Goddesses that we meet again someday," Zelda's voice cut into my thoughts.

"I hope so too," I replied, feeling the ground slip away beneath me as I thought of my room at home.


	26. Epilogue: Link's Adventure

Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so. Tying up the last loose ends.

**Epilogue: Link's Adventure**

I sighed as my room came back into focus around me. The bed, clock, the mess on the shelves; it was all there. Looking up at the screen, I saw the credits of the game rolling, showing the various inhabitants of Hyrule happy and well. I chuckled as I saw the children return home, glad they made it back safely. My brow furrowed in confusion when I saw the Master Sword back in its pedestal deep in the woods. My confusion deepened when I saw Link riding away on Epona.

"He wants to go on his own adventure." I wheeled around in my chair to see my little sister standing in the doorway, the look on her face unreadable. "He was jealous of you. A little anyway," she said as she sat on the edge of my bed.

My brain wouldn't engage as I looked between my sister and the screen, which was now just displaying "The End" in the throne room of Hyrule Castle. My jaw dropped as I made the connection. "You mean… He was here? While I was there?"

"Yeah," she said shortly. "And you're lucky I kept it a secret from mom and dad."

I groaned as I leaned back. "I was so blind! Of course something had to come here if I was going there." I felt a bit horror struck as I realized the implications. "Oh man. Link, here?"

"He was actually pretty nice once we got things figured out." I stared at her for a minute. How could she be so nonchalant about it? She looked at me as if I was being dense, which in all likelihood, I was probably was. "Well when you started acting weird and Link started explaining things in the game, it wasn't hard to figure out."

I chuckled a little at that. My sister was smart; it really shouldn't surprise me that she figured it out. I then paused as something else scared me. "How much have you watched?" I asked.

She sighed, hesitating with her answer. Now I was in trouble. "Most of the time we just turned the TV off and talked. But he wanted to watch you fight Ganon… I saw you hug her."

I closed my eyes and sighed myself. "Yeah, but it's not like it's anything to worry about. I'm not going to see her again."

"Yeah, I guess not." Her words agreed with me, but it seemed like she was thinking something else.

"So what was Link like?" I asked, now curious to how he had fared.

"He was a bit scared at first, but he adjusted," she said, dropping into the story-telling mode I knew a bit too well. "He wanted to get back to Hyrule at first, but then he just wanted to know about our world. I showed him TV, internet, a bunch of books, played some games. I think he liked it, but he really just wanted to be home. It got harder to keep it a secret when he started looking like himself, but I kept mom and dad busy if I had to. You owe me big."

"Oh come on," I said as I rolled my eyes. "Wasn't hanging around with a cute, handsome hero compensation enough?"

"Hey, he was cute, but I'm glad he's back home."

We shared a laugh over that, knowing that neither of us had been too serious about it. I smiled as we quieted down. "Thanks. You didn't have to do that."

"What are little sisters for?" she replied with her own smile. Her gaze then turned to the screen, which hadn't changed. "So… are you going to try going back?"

I inhaled and exhaled, blinking slowly. "No," I finally answered, rubbing my nose under my glasses. "It wouldn't be the same anyway, if I had to do the same things all over again."

"I guess not," she agreed. She then stood up and turned to the door. "Do you think you'll ever see any of them again?" she asked.

"I hope so. I really hope so," I answered softly.

She then left me there, stewing in my own thoughts about all the events that had transpired over a matter of weeks. It had felt like a lifetime. Each memory felt precious in one way or another, and I didn't want to lose any of them. So I turned off the Wii, turned on my laptop, and began to write.


	27. Notes and Musings

**Notes and Musings about Twilight Crossing**

I've noticed that some writers make notes and talk about how their story came together and I thought I would do the same. I started writing this at the same time as chapter seventeen so I wouldn't forget the little things that I wanted to mention.

First off, some of you may have noticed that in chapter fourteen I originally made mention of a TV show host when I caught a whiff of the reekfish. Since I hope to actually write professionally, I decided that I had better start now and cut out the reference. For the curious, I was referring to Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs. I had made a similar reference in chapter fifteen, but cut it out before posting. That reference had been regarding Jamie and Adam of MythBusters. If you don't know these shows, I suggest you watch the Discovery Channel. It's pretty much the only good thing on television these days. Also, there was a reference in chapter seventeen to Indiana Jones which was also edited out. Now some may call me hypocritical for using a line from a movie in chapter seven, but I think that using a line is different and less obvious than actually mentioning names.

If you couldn't tell, I liked writing the battle sequences. Being something of a ham and a wanna-be hero, I found writing them in detail to be easy. In contrast, I realized that I couldn't put too much detail in the dungeon exploring part because it's fairly boring when you're describing as opposed to doing (or watching rather than playing). This lack of detail had me nervous at first, but I've accepted it.

I also enjoyed writing the dialog between Tyler and Midna. I find Midna a fun and interesting character and she's the main reason I thought of this story in the first place. As such, chapters eight and nine are my current favorites. I have tried to stay true to her character as much as possible and hope that the result is satisfactory. The same goes for the game play, although I took creative leeway in the fact that the game programming was in a state of flux.

It's amazing how the creative process works. A few chapters, like sixteen, took forever for me to think up, while others just flowed out like water. For example, I thought of a good chunk of eight when I was at work one day. I kept repeating it in my head until I could get home and write it. laughs I also had problems getting things going at first, but as I noted in one chapter, getting the Wii version sparked things up again, and the chapters came easier with a 'live' source, so to speak.

The process was also complicated by two deadlines. One is the self-imposed weekly chapter updates. The other is the fact that I had to finish this story before the end of May. Why the end of May? Because I would be leaving to attend a university and I can't take the Wii with me since it belongs to the family. I had to beat the game and get the story written before then. Some would say that playing the game is unnecessary, but the game script I have doesn't detail the movements of the characters or the essence of their actions. As such, I would play a bit, and then write, and one could not go forward without the other being done. Add that the deadlines made me feel less like writing and it's a miracle that this got done at all.

As you can tell, I didn't finish this story by the May deadline, mostly due to adjusting to college life and mismanaged time, but I had finished the game, and the details stuck out enough for me to remember them over a month later. chuckles I will say that I almost forgot fighting Ganon as a giant boar. I'm still human after all.

Ready to hear something really nuts? I actually submitted chapters nine and ten for a creative writing class. They did dig with some criticism, but they also like a number of elements too. Apparently, I told them too much about the story and they kept making suggestions (which is a good thing really). The biggest suggestion was to give Link equal time to adjust to our world. I'm not sure about it, but I might rewrite the story someday with their ideas in mind.

In any case, I'm glad to have been able to express myself in this story. I just hope that those who read it enjoy it and I thank those that have reviewed and encouraged me along the way. Hopefully, I'll be able to churn out other stories, and maybe even a sequel to this one… wink Until then, keep your minds and pencils sharp. May the way of the Hero lead you to the Triforce.


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